Nobody's Home
by GGCharms
Summary: AU. Ponyboy was a kid running from his problems. Can a town filled with gangs and violence be the place where he finds his answers? More importantly,can the Curtis gang become a family for this homeless boy? Dally and Johnny are alive!
1. Prologue

**Hi! I'm GG and this is my first Outsiders story! **

**I'm so excited to put this up! I've been thinking about this idea for awhile. I've always wanted to read some story where Pony wasn't related to Darry or Soda and had no relations with the gang. I found some but none really fancied me. **

**So I decided to make and AU of my own! I hope you enjoy it!**

**The setting is 1966. That's around the time of the story. It's during the school year too. Dally and Johnny are still alive!**

**Ages:**

**Ponyboy: 14**

**Soda: 16 (close to 17)**

**Darry: 20**

**Dally: 17**

**Two-Bit: 18**

**Johnny: 16**

**Steve: 17**

**Special thanks to XxCheshireSmilexX! Without her this would never EVER be up! She also makes awesome Outsiders stories!**

**Disclaimer: The Outsiders is owned by S. E. Hinton. If I owned it Dally and Johnny wouldn't have died!**

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><p>He hated it. His life that is.<p>

He hated thinking about it. He hated it when he woke up, all throughout the day until he went to bed. He hated the sights, the smells, the sounds, the tastes, and the feelings.

He just couldn't deal with it anymore. The only thing he hated more than his life was himself, because he was stupid enough to believe that things would get better.

His name was Ponyboy Stinson. After the incident, he'll only go by Ponyboy.

It sounded normal. It was like a regular family name. If you saw it in the phone book you would never guess the cruel people living with it.

* * *

><p>It started on July 22, 1952. Mrs. Brenda Stinson had just giving birth to a baby boy. It was amazing how simple and danger free it was since she had been drinking and smoking during the pregnancy.<p>

But everything was fine; no difficulties at all. Now she was in recovery. The nurses would ask her from time to time if she would like to hold her child. Every time she gave the same answers and excuses. She felt tired and soar, she just wanted to sleep, she would after she ate, etc. The truth was, Brenda just didn't want to.

When they asked her what they would like to name her child she tiredly waved them off and said it was up to her husband. Mr. Richard Stinson was in the waiting room. The nurses would tell him he was a loud to visit his wife or even see his child, but he wanted to stay where he was.

He probably couldn't get too far anyways. In his drunken and high state of mind, everything was confusing and disorienting. That's why it wasn't the best idea to give him the choice to choose the baby's name.

On the radio playing in the lobby, the talk show people were talking about a rodeo coming up. A new pony coming in was the big talk.

Pony.

_'The kid was a boy, right?'_

Boy.

Ponyboy.

That was good enough for him. In his hazed state, he wrote it down and handed it to the nurse. The woman blinked at it once, gave him a strange look, and then just walked away.

And he became Ponyboy.

* * *

><p>It has been 13 years since that day and the only people who have said his name were his teachers.<p>

His parents wouldn't look at him or talk to him. Hell, he doesn't even think they knew he exists.

When he was young, he'd see happy families at the park. They would be hugging each other and laughing. Pony would try to put himself in the place of the kid that was getting attention. As time went on, he gave up and accepted the fact that that couldn't be him. He didn't know what he did but in someone's eyes, he didn't deserve something like that. Love was meant to be foreign to him.

However, no matter how cruel his parents were, he couldn't find it in himself to hate them completely. And that's what made him so mad.

"Oh Richie that last hit was the best! Come on, I'm ready now! Let's go out! Let's get more!"

"Hold on babe, let me finish here."

Pony walked out of his room and peaked around the corner of the hall that lead to the living room. There he saw his parents getting high. Again. This wasn't new at all. Pony was pretty much raised with this. The kisses and hugs, that wasn't normal. Ignoring him, leaving the house late at night, coming back late in the morning, getting high, being wasted, maybe not even coming home for days; that was normal. He hated but accepted it.

Pony was so caught up in his thoughts, he didn't hear his parents moving towards him until it was too late.

"Come on baby I don't even care about the drugs anymore, just take me to the bedroom! Let's do it right now! I need it so bad! Give it to me hard!"

"Heh, you're such a needy bitch aren't you? Well, if that's what you want then that's what you're gonna get. I'm gonna fuck you so har-who the hell is this?"

Ponyboy eyes widened when he saw shadows covering the area in front of him. His gaze wandered slowly upwards until they rested on his dad's.

He was too shocked to move.

_'They're looking at me.'_ his mind couldn't wrap around it. This was the first time they actually paid any attention to him.

With that in mind, he was frozen to the spot.

"Hey brat he's talking to you!"

A shove sent him to the ground. Ponyboy quickly directed his attention to his mom.

_'She touched me.'_ that thought put a small smile on his face. Is this what it was like for the other kids?

"Fucker, wipe that look off your face!" the kick to his cheek made him spit up blood.

A new feeling washed over him. This wasn't what he saw in the park or after school. Those kids are happy. This feeling, this was,

Fear.

_'This can't be happening.'_ he thought as a hand grabbed his shirt and lifted him up.

"You're working for them aren't you!? Fuckers trying to still my drugs!"

The next hit was aimed at his stomach. It left him gasping for air.

"This will teach them not to steal from me!"

His dad reached into his pocket and brought out a switchblade. Pony stared at it with horror as it came closer to his face.

"Yeah baby, finish him off!"

"Shut up, bitch!"

In that split moment, where his dad turned towards his mom, Pony bolted down the hall to his room.

Ponyboy managed to close and lock the door before the footsteps got closer and the pounding started.

He knew he didn't have much time. He couldn't stay here anymore. This could never work. This family wasn't even a family at all.

As of now, he was wearing a gray hoodie with a puke green colored t-shirt underneath it; ripped, old jeans; and worn out white converses.

He grabbed an old yet small bag out of his closet and through in a red t-shirt and an extra pair of jeans.

Pony looked around frantically for money to use as the pounding on the other side of the door grew in ferocity until it made a small crack in it.

As he was looking further back into his closet, he saw something strange.

It was a chest. A chest he never saw before.

He took it out carefully and studied it. When he opened the top what was inside both shocked and sent relief through his body.

It was filled with drugs and a shit load of money.

_'This must be dad's stash.'_

Another crack made on the door knocked him out of his stupor. He quickly pocketed the money and made a beeline towards his window. He took one last long look at his room, knowing he'll never come back here ever again. This was the last time he would ever see it. Once he left, there was no going back.

The door finally caved in and Richard marched through with a crazy look in his eyes, Brenda right behind him.

Pony took that as a sign to leave and jumped onto the tree next to him. He quickly climbed down and ran as if his life depended on it because at the moment, it did.

He could vaguely hear in the distance his dad yelling at him, but he didn't care anymore. He felt freer than he ever did in a long time.

However, when he made it to the empty park he stopped to catch his breath. Something didn't feel right. He just left his parents; his family. It nauseated him for a minute. He sat on a bench to keep his head from spinning.

He couldn't go back, he knew that. He had to make another plan.

That feeling would never go away though.

Pony remembered a bus stop a few blocks down. He walked there slowly and then bought a ticket when he arrived.

He didn't know where. Anywhere was fine as long as it wasn't here.

His bus arrived 10 minutes later. No one questioned him. No one even looked at him. He was used to that though.

That night he never once looked behind him knowing that if he did, he would go back.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Time Skip<span>**

It's been a year. A whole year since he ran away. A whole year since he became homeless.

He was now 14.

That shit load of money he stole from his dad. It didn't last as long as he thought it would. Sleeping outside with your few belongings in views of others was a very bad idea.

Someone took half of the money that he had. The other half was used up quickly.

He has been all over the place in that last year. He never really left the South, but he made it fine coming across small towns.

He's learned a few things while being on his own.

One was how to pick pockets and steal. Pony wasn't really proud of this, but he did what he had to do to survive.

He learned how to find shelter during storms, how to hitchhike, and how to wash himself without using a shower or bathtub.

Most of all, he's learned how to be invisible. He's been to a lot of towns during his time running away and not one seemed to question. Maybe the first one a little bit, but he learned how to play his situation off.

In that year he hadn't smiled much.

From time to time again he wondered about home, how his parents were doing, etc.

He could never go back though. He didn't even think he could call it home anymore.

Pony has learned to be a daydreamer since there was nothing else to do. His day dreaming almost made him miss the announcement of the last stop the bus was taking.

He sighed,

"Well Tulsa, Oklahoma, here I come."

* * *

><p>You'd never think Richard and Brenda Stinson would have a higher up, a boss if you will. Oh but they did. And this meeting wasn't going so well.<p>

A punch to Richards face sent him reeling back. Two men wearing dark suites pulled him back up to his feet before another punch was aimed for his stomach.

Another man standing in the background held his hand up telling his men to stop. His rings and gold watch sparkled in the lamp light that was by the window.

Brenda was near the doorway. Her face was pale and blood pooled around her. Her chest was no longer in spasms for air. She'd been shot dead.

"Please, Mr. Cook, I don't know where the money could have gone too!"

Mr. Cook quietly walked over to Richard. As they stared at each other he sent a blow to the others cheek with his right knee. The other coughed up the blood that was pooling in his mouth.

"Don't lie to me Richie. I know about your wife and your little…..habit. I shouldn't be surprised to see all of it gone."

Mr. Cook grabbed Richard by the hair harshly and tugged him up to eye level.

"Now here's what you're gonna do. I don't know who you gave the money too, but you better tell me now. If you don't I'll have my boys over here," he gestured to the large men in the corners, "beat it out of you. However, you could make this a lot easier if you simply told me where it went. If you do, I'll let you live, plain and simple."

Richard stared at him with horror in his eyes.

"I'm telling you Mr. Cook I don't know-" before he could finish Mr. Cook shook him roughly.

"I don't want to hear 'I don't know' or 'I can't' come out of your mouth again. Do you need more persuasion?"

Mr. Cook held out his hand which one of the men placed something in it. The blade was switched open and dragged clumsily over Richard's neck.

Richard shuddered in fear.

"Now come on Richie," Mr. Cook said, "think harder for me."

And Richard did. He traveled in his mind, struggling for the answer.

He knew he left the money in a chest in the bedroom down the hall. He can't think of anyone that could've taken it, though!

His eyes drifted towards Brenda lying lifelessly on the ground, Richard couldn't help but think that that's going to be him next.

His eyes then gazed towards the hallway leading towards the room. Something happened there. Something that sparked some recognition in his brain.

He remembered always seeing someone in the house. Someone short and young looking. Someone like…

The kid.

There was a kid in this house. What was his name again? It was an animal. Dog, cat, bird, bull, horse; wait horse! Or was it horse? It felt like something else.

The blade dug deeper into his skin.

No it wasn't horse it was like…a pony. Ponyboy! That was the name! The kid lived here. That was his room!

"Mr. Cook it was a kid! A kid named Ponyboy!"

Mr. Cook came closer to his face. "Don't lie to me boy."

With tears in his eyes Richard screamed "NO! I swear to God it was a kid name Ponyboy! He lived here in the same room with the money in it!"

Mr. Cook stared in his eyes. "Where is he now?"

"I don't know…" Richard whimpered out.

Mr. Cook growled "You don't know!?"

"He ran away a year ago! Oh God I promise! Please! I don't want to die!"

The tears spilled down his face now as Mr. Cook gave him a glare and then a bone-chilling smile.

"Now was that so hard? Ponyboy was it? I'll send my men after him right away." He let Richard drop to the ground with a thud.

Richard, too paralyzed to move, just stayed there.

"Thank you, Mr. Cook!"

Mr. Cook stopped halfway to the door and tilted his head, "I think you're mistaking Richard. You still let my money get away. I'm not letting you go easy. Finish him boys."

Richard stared at him in shock and screamed in terror as one of the men pointing a gun at his head. One shot was fired.

One man still standing in the corner turned towards Mr. Cook.

"What should we do now, Boss?"

"Hmm?" he drawled for a long while. "Find the boy. When you do call me. Then we'll make further plans."

The man nodded and walked off.

Mr. Cook walked towards his car and looked out the window as they drove off.

"Ponyboy, hmm? What a unique name. You won't be missing for long Ponyboy. We're coming for you," a deep, throaty chuckle followed.

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><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed it! Please reviewfavorite/follow! **

**I'm hoping chapter 1 will be out soon!**

**Bye for now loves!**


	2. Broken Inside

**You have no idea how happy those reviews and favorites and follows made me! At first I was freaking out because nothing was happening and I thought I made a really big mistake posting this! You guys are what gave me my confidence! **

**I am so happy I got to post this like a week later! This is the first time I've ever done that! XD**

**I have midterms in the next two weeks so I wanted to get this over with before that so you guys aren't waiting forever for the next update! **

**I hope you like this chapter!**

**I also forgot to tell you guys that this story is based off of the Avril Lavigne music video "Nobody's Home"!**

**Special shout out to XxCheshireSmilexX! You help me so much!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders. **

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><p><em>What's wrong, what's wrong now?<em>  
><em>Too many, too many problems.<em>  
><em>Don't know where she belongs, where she belongs.<em>  
><em>She wants to go home, but nobody's home.<em>  
><em>It's where she lies, broken inside.<em>  
><em>With no place to go, no place to go to dry her eyes.<em>  
><em>Broken inside.<em>

_Avril Lavigne- "Nobody's Home"_

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><p>It took a while for Pony to get used to his…...situation.<p>

It wasn't the aspect of being alone that had him struggling. He was used to that already.

It was the constant moving and adjusting that he had a hard time grasping.

And the things he could say he's seen would make most boys his age shiver in fear.

He's seen knife fights over girls, booze, five bucks, and most of the time just for the hell of it.

He's seen dealers sell someone drugs and then find that same person laying in his own vomit after he ODed.

He's seen real life monsters in that one year.

The only thing keeping him alive and sane was his brain.

His constant daydreaming was a chance for him to get away from the hell he's experienced and is still experiencing.

Pony loved to read. Whenever he could get his hands on a book he wouldn't let it go until he's finished reading through all the way to the summary on the back.

He could spend hours in the local town library soaking up knowledge and adventures like a sponge.

Despite not having the best education he would say he was pretty damn smart. Of course, there are people a whole world smarter than he could ever be (there is only so much a small public library could teach you), but when you find yourself surrounded by a group of people who had let the insanity of the real world get to them, well being the smartest person in the room kept you alive.

He was hoping this town had a library. Tulsa he means. Just somewhere to escape to when he needed it most.

So far there was nothing. Naturally, though, considering he just got off the bus.

While he was walking away from the group of people that was getting off the same bus he was, he managed to lift a wallet.

He always hated that part. Just thinking of the panic sensation the stranger would feel the next time they reach into their pocket made his stomach knot up.

However, stealing was a whole lot better than selling drugs, or his ass for that matter.

As he made it further into town, he noticed a few things.

What really stood out to him was how the people sweaters or madras with their hair neatly combed looked at him in disgust (ok so maybe that wasn't new) and called him a "greaser" (that was something he's never heard before).

The other group of people with greased up hair and leather jackets paid no mind to him. Pony saw less of this group and more of the snobby looking people as he continued to walk

'_Social classes must be a really big thing here.'_

Pony stopped and sniffed the air suddenly. His stomach grumbled in a way he was all too familiar with. Food was nearby and lots of it.

Normally he wouldn't try and seek out a place where he knows would be a crowd of people. He hadn't eaten in days though, and the smell was just too tempting.

He quickly turned a corner and came face to face with a diner. **RUSTY'S **was written on a lit up sign in the front. A lot more of those rich looking kids were hanging out there and when he said a lot he meant A LOT!

'_School must've just let out or something.'_

He took the wallet he stole earlier out from his pocket and started to head over there, not seeing any harm that it could cause. Casually, he looked into the pocket sized, leather pouch to see how much he had for a sandwich or something along those lines.

However, a lack of green paper his fingers should be touching made him freeze. He stopped right in front of the diner and stared at the inside of the wallet. His heart sunk a bit.

There was no money in there.

'_Who the hell carries a wallet with no money?'_ he asked himself.

An angry feeling washed over him but was soon replaced with shock and a hint of fear when he heard someone calling out to him.

"What the hell is a Grease doing here?"

Pony turned his head and looked at a group of teens a little older than him leaning against a car.

"Excuse me?" he asked slowly and unsure.

The one in the middle of the group walked over to him like a predator would do to their prey.

"Are you deaf or something? I asked why trash is dirtying up our side of town."

"Don't get too close, Bob! They carry diseases you know!" another one snickered out.

"Heh, I got this guys. If trash isn't taken care of, it starts to stink up the place." the one now dubbed Bob said with a cruel smile on his face.

Pony quickly got the hint that he shouldn't be there once he saw the rest of the group circle around him.

A new voice broke through the taunting. This one was higher and more feminine.

"Come one, Bob. You know I don't like fighting."

Pony looked over and saw a girl with bright red hair and light freckles dusted on her cheeks. Her eyes were narrowed between annoyed and a glare directed between Pony (he didn't even do anything!) and Bob.

Bob hesitated for a moment and with that the gang did too. That's all Pony needed to run in the opposite direction, far away from the diner.

"That's right, run you little Grease! If we ever see you again you're dead!"

This just caused him to run faster and longer. He didn't stop running until what seemed like mansions turned into shacks (only in comparison though) and the big glass display window shops transformed into thrift stores.

He didn't know how long he ran but as his adrenaline started wearing off he started to feel a cold sweat forming.

He slowed down into a walk until he found a bench to sit down on. His shoes were so worn, little holes were forming on the soles making is possible for little irritating pebbles and stones to make their way into his sneakers.

As his heart calmed down a bit a light breeze picked up making him shiver. His stomach grumbled once more, louder than it did before.

'_Dammit, now I'm hungry and I feel disgusting!'_

Pony looked down the street and saw a little gas station. I sign was on a long pole with the two letters **DX **on it.

'_Better than nothing'_ he thought to himself and made his way over.

As he opened the door a light bell sound was made. He gave a quick look around and found small aisles of snacks and a fridge in the back for drinks. A teen with movie star qualities looked up from a magazine he was reading and gave a big, white, dazzling smile.

"Welcome to the DX! I'm glad someone came in, it was turning out to be slow today! If you need help finding anything just ask!"

Pony politely returned the smile with his fake one. "Do you guys have a bathroom in here?"

The teen nodded, "Yeah it's in the back. Just go down that hall."

Pony gave a small "Thanks." as he followed the man's directions.

Went he was inside he thought it was a good of place as any to go to the bathroom. After he relieved himself, Pony turned on the sink and looked at himself in the mirror.

'_Haven't even been in this town for two hours and you've already got yourself into trouble.' _

Pony cupped his hands underneath the sink and splashed the water on his hair, gently rinsing the grease out.

After he washed his face, arms, and back; he changed into the red shirt and his other pair of jeans, while making a mental note to go and find a Laundromat later.

When he was done he looked back in the mirror. The dirt may be gone, but it's like he could still see it….still feel it.

'_You're a mess, Ponyboy.'_

He let his fingers graze against his reflection.

'_You're breaking, Ponyboy.'_

His hand lightly smacked the mirror.

'_You're fallen behind, Ponyboy.'_

He hit the glass harder.

'_You're useless, Ponyboy.'_

And harder.

'_You're nothing, Ponyboy.'_

And harder.

'_Nobody will ever care about trash like you.'_

And harder.

'_You're all alone, Ponyboy.'_

'_Alone'_

And harder.

'_**ALONE!'**_

***CRACK***

The noise startled him and he quickly backed away from the mirror. I small split in the glass could be seen.

Luckily it didn't shatter but it still scared him half to death. He hasn't had an attack like that in months.

'_Why now?'_

Before he could dwell on it, he remembered where he was.

'_Crap! How long was I in here?!'_

Pony grabbed his bag and made his way out of the bathroom.

When he got back up to the front of the store he saw a new guy behind the counter.

This teen looked about the same age as the other one. Not nearly as handsome, though. One thing that stood out about him was the amount of grease in his hair, twisting it into complicated swirls.

The teen barely looked up from the same magazine that the other one was reading as Pony wandered the aisles for the second thing he came in there for; a snack.

Since he already knew he didn't have money, he was set on stealing the food.

Pony looked at the bag of chips in front of him and quickly glanced at the boy behind the cash register.

Deeming him not paying attention, Pony pocketed the chips and made his way out of the building, praying that the teen didn't notice him.

The teen, however, did notice. Steve Randle was actually watching the boy the entire time. The way he wandered the aisles just didn't sit right with him and his suspicions were confirmed when he saw him take the chips.

Steve was just about to call out to the kid when he heard the click and ding of the cash register being opened.

"Thanks for watching the counter for me, Steve-o."

"Soda, what the hell are you doing?"

Sodapop Curtis would say he had a very good judge of character. With him being a people person just came naturally.

So it wasn't that hard to tell that the smile the kid gave him was fake. He wrote it off as nothing until he passed by the bathroom as he was making his way to the back to grab more crates of Coke.

He heard some kind of banging noise that grew louder and louder as time went on.

'_Wasn't there a kid in there?'_

Panicking slightly, Soda was about to knock on the door, when the pounding stopped. The door flung open and Soda was barely missed by the door.

The kid that walked out didn't even notice him.

Soda casted a confused look to the back of the boy's head.

'_Was his hair wet?'_

He had to admit, the boy did look dirtier before. Did he wash himself in there?

A little more concerned now, Soda quickly got the Coke from the back and made his way up to the front where Steve was covering the counter for him.

As he entered back into the room, he too saw the kid pocket the chips and then take off without paying.

Red alarms were going off in Soda's head. Something was not right with everything he saw in the time span the kid was there.

Coming to his own conclusion that the kid really did need those chips, Soda opened the cash register and put his own money in it before Steve could yell at the kid.

"Thanks for watching the counter for me, Steve-o."

"Soda, what the hell are you doing?"

Soda turned towards Steve and after a moment of hesitation said, "Some people just need more help than us Greasers do."

When he received a weird look from his best friend he threw in with a big smile, "Shoot Steve, we did a lot of shit too when we were kids!"

Steve snorted and an amused smile made its way on his face, "We still do a lot of shit." the smile disappeared, "I'll cover for you this one time Soda, but if I see that kid do the same thing again, I won't hesitate next time. Not even for you."

Soda's smile lessened in intensity but never left his face, "Don't worry, Steve, I don't think we'll see the kid any time soon."

Steve stared at him for a minute and then said, "Whatever, Soda. Just get back to work. I have shit to do still in the garage."

Soda just stuck out his tongue and jumped over the counter.

"Aye-Aye, Steve-o!

* * *

><p>Ponyboy, remembering his mental note from before, did find a Laundromat.<p>

He was currently banging on a washing machine in frustration as it ate his quarters and didn't wash.

"That one's broken, honey."

Pony looked up to see a sweet women, with rusty colored hair and gray eyes.

"Uuh, thanks." he was mentally kicking himself for sounding like a jerk to someone who was just trying to help.

The women, however just smiled and said, "Not a problem, sweetie! The one next to it works fine! Do you need any more quarters? I have a whole bag of them in my purse!"

Pony was stunned for just a moment before he shyly nodded his head and said in a little voice "Yes please." and then "Thank you very much, ma'am.", when she handed him the quarters.

"Like I said, it's not a problem! Are you helping your mother with the laundry? That's so sweet of you! I wish my son would help around the house more." she gave a mocking pout and watched as Pony took out the gray zip up hoodie, jeans, and his green t-shirt out from the broken wash and into the new one.

He hesitated just for a moment with his answer "What? Oh, uh, yeah she's busy today so I decided to help her a little."

The women just nodded and packed her own clothes in a hamper.

"Well, that is awfully kind of you honey. Lord knows us women need the help! You deserve a special treat!"

She took Pony's hand and pushed a folded piece of green paper in it. Pony opened it up and came face to face with a twenty dollar bill.

"Ma'am, this is too much! You don't have to do this!"

She gave a fake glare, "Now listen here young man, nobody can tell me what I do have to do and what I don't have to do. I think I can figure that out on my own, thank you very much!" her expression softened, "Just take it, you really do deserve it!"

Pony was speechless and looked back and forth from the money to the women, like he was debating on whether he should try harder to give it back or not.

The women took her hamper of clothes and made her way out the door before Pony could make up his mind, "You're a nice boy, honey! I'm glad there are still people like you in the world!"

In his blank state of mind, Pony yelled "Thank you!"

The women just waved and walked off.

Pony smiled to himself and held onto the money tightly as he watched his clothes spin around in the cycle.

'_Maybe things will turn out alright if there are more people like her in the world.'_

* * *

><p>Mary Mathews was a very hard-working women that earned every check she got. Sure, life was hard, but she'd go through hell and back to support her family.<p>

People would say she let her children off too easy, but they just didn't understand her method of parenting. She wants her kids to experience the real world for what it is, unlike some parents who baby their kids until they're out of high school. Then they just leave them out to fend for themselves.

Mary would punish her children if they went way out of line, because she truly does love them and cares for them.

She cares for all children really.

Which is why it broke her heart seeing that boy at the Laundromat.

She knew teenaged boys, hell she was raising one. And not he nor any of his friends would willingly do the laundry for their mothers. It just wasn't in a boy's nature. Even the Curtis brothers would complain about who had to do the laundry.

That's what first set alarms off in her head. She tried to think that he was just a very sweet boy, but then she saw he was just washing one outfit.

Mary looked over at the chair behind them and saw a small bag.

'_So that's how it is.'_ she thought to herself.

She casually gave that boy a twenty making it so he couldn't turn it down. Sure she could've used the money, but at the moment that boy needed it more.

It made her chest hurt knowing that the boy, right at that moment, was probably sleeping on a park bench. It was pretty cold at night sense it was the middle of January.

As she walked into her house she was greeted with the sight of her son just about to head out.

"Oh hey mom! I put Suzie to bed a little while ago, I was just about to head over to the Curtis'."

Mary's thoughts flashed to the boy again when she saw her son. She didn't know what overcame her but she just had to pull him into a hug.

"Whoa, mom! Are you ok?" her son asked her as he gently hugged her back.

"Just promise me, Keith, you'll never just disappear on me, you dig?"

Keith, AKA Two-Bit, looked at his mom with his eyebrow raised in confusion, "Yeah, I dig mom."

"Good! Now don't keep your friends waiting! And try not to get arrested tonight!"

Two-Bit's chessy cat like grin was back on his face, "Thanks mom!" and he left.

Mary Mathews stared at the door. She really did love her kids.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Please reviewfavorite/follow! It will really make my day when I come home from one of my midterms! **

**If this doesn't look as neat as the last one might have, I sincerely apologize. Fanfiction's editing is literally screwing me over.**

**Good bye for now my lovelies!**


	3. Can I Clear My Conscience?

**Hello~! I'm so glad to get this chapter out! If I didn't get it out now then it probably would have been another week or so.**

**So I was planning on writing this Monday but I got really sick. I'm better now, just a slight cough and some lingering tiredness.**

**My midterms were canceled due to weather so that was awesome! They now start on Friday unless anything else happens.**

**We won our first cheer competition! I'm so happy! Since I have another one on Sunday I decided to get this chapter out quick.**

**Oh and sorry for the unusual updating time. I like to update super late. **

**Thank you so much for your reviews! I did have Spanish midterms (taken in school) so reading them after that made me smile like an idiot! You guys are angels!**

**This is unbetaed since I want to get it out as soon as possible but thank you XxCheshireSmilexX none the less for supporting me! **

**I hope you enjoy! (Sorry this is shorter)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders.**

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><p><em>Can I clear my conscience,<br>If I'm different from the rest,  
>Do I have to run and hide? (oh oh oh oh)<br>I never said that I want this,  
>This burden came to me,<br>And it's made it's home inside (oh oh oh oh)_

_Imagine Dragons- "Monster"_

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><p>Some people wonder why he stays in a town.<p>

Ofcourse he could just got to the next one without even blinking an eye. All you needed was some money and then you hop the next bus on its way out.

But what else would he do in the next town?

Ponyboy couldn't do much with his life yet. He was only 14. Technically he should be in school.

He could always get a job. However, you apparently need an address when filling out the application and you can't get a place to live without money. No money, no house, no job. Believe him, he's tried.

Pony didn't see what the big deal was if you didn't have an address. Every time he asked the manager would tell him to go home.

Well the only problem there is he doesn't have a home. Not yet, at least. Four more years to go and he'll be a legal adult. Only four years….and he won't have to sleep on the park bench or steal food from the back of a restaurant.

Until then, he was on his own. But he didn't mind…...well at the moment he didn't.

Ponyboy was looking around the town, searching for something that might draw out his stay. He still had to keep himself occupied, so why not seek out something that could distract him from his life?

At times he thought of it as a contest. So far the last place he hit 3 weeks ago was the best. The biggest library he's ever seen was there and you didn't need a card or nothing. Maybe this town would one up it.

The people were…...decent so far. He's only been in town for a day and a night so far, but he could already tell that the people from the West hated the people from the East and vice versa.

Socs and Greasers is what he's heard some people call each other.

Pony was often mistaken as a Greaser and was treated as such. So far that just meant threats and insults being screamed out of mustangs or corvairs. There was also that one time where he was almost pummeled outside of the diner.

So he's already made it a rule in his head to stay away from the Socs. No Greaser needed to tell him that.

However, there were some nice people in this town. The woman from yesterday at the laundromat for example.

A hand snuck into his pocket and gripped the twenty bucks while a smile crept onto his face.

He has been on the road for some time and it was hard to come across people like that.

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><p>Pony wasn't dumb. Not in the least. So he know that the money wasn't a reward for doing his own laundry.<p>

She knew. And he was okay with that.

That look in her eyes…..the look a mother gives to a child was something Ponyboy will cherish in his heart for a long time.

Knowing that the woman probably wanted him to sleep anywhere but outside that night, Pony made it a mission to find somewhere warm to spend the night.

Some might say he was just using that as an excuse to do something that helps himself, but he honestly thought he was paying the lady back.

So after the dryer stopped spinning in a hypnotizing cycle, Pony made his way to what he believes now was further east into the town.

Normally Ponyboy wouldn't ask for help or directions from strangers, knowing it would give him a lot of unwanted attention. This time, however, he really didn't want to spend his recent money on a one night room at a sleazy, run down, hotel.

At first he just asked for cheap places to stay. When he kept getting different answers he narrowed it down to places that were cheap and close.

That's when he started to hear about a place named Buck's.

He later found out that it was just a man's home with a built in bar in it.

When Pony saw people stumbling out with either vomit or blood on their clothes and sporting a drunken smile or angry black eye he almost turned back.

However, the promising view of the many bedrooms on the top floor was too good to be true. Especially since the little warmth from the sun finally went down and the wind bit into his skin.

So Ponyboy made his way inside.

The stench is what hit him first; booze, cigarettes, vomit, and the hint of sex that he knew would get stronger as he neared the stairs.

Smoke created a somewhat foggy look on the inside. Make out sessions were in the corners or in chairs while some other couples were grinding against each other while Hank Williams was blasting throughout the place.

Most people looked to be in their twenties although there were plenty younger and even some that looked around his age.

Some people were getting high, others were getting wasted.

Drinking games were happening all over the place, pool tables were set in the other rooms, and a dog was running all over the place. It was a real party and since it was a Friday night, he wasn't surprised.

Hoping that the owner wasn't here or didn't notice him already, Pony searched for the rooms.

His first step was to press his ear to the door. Right when he saw the place he knew that the rooms weren't for housing people. Whenever Pony heard one moan or grunt he immediately went to the next room.

Finally, after pressed to a door for 10 minutes, Ponyboy believed he found one that was not…..occupied.

Slowly opening the door he found out that he was right. However, as he started to look around he found clothes all over the place with a few beer bottles on the floor. An ash tray was on the nightstand along with a pack of Kools.

'_Does someone live here?' _he thought while picking up a leather jacket hanging over a chair.

He didn't think someone would leave all of this stuff.

Of course, right at that moment fate decided to agree with him.

"Who the fuck is in my room?" a cold, hard voice said by the door.

Slowly turning around Pony came face to face with, what he thought and still thinks, the devil himself.

A teen that looked about 17 with the coldest and iciest eyes glared back into his wide gray-green ones.

The towheaded kid had elfish features with small and sharp teeth that snarled in his face.

Still frozen under that stare, Pony didn't even register when hands grabbed the front of his shirt.

"You have until the count of three to get out before you find your head underneath my fucking foot."

The threat combined with the following growl was all Ponyboy needed before he found himself wriggling out of the hold and running right out of there.

Just going further down the hall, he stopped when he reached the end. Turning around to make sure the teen wasn't following, Pony was able to take a deep breath and calm his beating heart.

The quick adrenaline rush and fall made him more tired than he was before. Opening the door he was leaning on, not even bothering to check for noises, he silently thanked whoever was looking out for him when he saw that the room was fully empty this time. No shirts, no jackets, no psychotic teenagers.

That was all the welcoming Pony needed. After locking the door he made his way to the bed, kicking off his shoes without a thought. With all that happened that day, it was no wonder he passed out right when his face hit the pillow.

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><p>Ponyboy found himself waking up early not only to find something to do, but to get the hell out of the house before anyone noticed he snuck in.<p>

Dragging himself out of the long awaited comfort of a mattress and pillow, Pony was able to make it out of the house without waking any of the people that decided to stay the night as well.

That's when he found himself searching the town for someplace fun.

He wasn't finding much so far. A few diners here and there, but nothing that made him want to stay longer than he had to.

Finally, after what took up most of the morning, Pony was able to find something that was ten times better than any library could ever be.

With a new since of excitement and eyes filled with wonder, Ponyboy walked closer to the movie theater.

This was the **perfect** place to escape everything. He used to go to the theater back in his old home town all the time. Pretending to be the characters was the best part. He always wished that the movie would never end so he wouldn't have to go back home and face reality.

Searching in his pocket for any extra quarters he might have from last night, Pony found the right amount to buy a ticket.

With a feeling of joy fueling him, he bought a ticket for the longest movie playing, hoping that it would take up most of the day.

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><p>Ponyboy walked out of the theater with a refreshed feeling.<p>

Paul Newman was now officially his favorite actor. Golly, he would trade anything to be in his shoes.

Walking by more shops and stores, with only one groups of Socs bothering him so far, Ponyboy decided to dub it as a good day.

He grabbed a late lunch/early dinner at a place called **The Dingo **(and since he actually had money he didn't have to rummage through the trash). Sure the service was slow (a teen with a Mickey Mouse shirt, long side burns, and the most obnoxious laugh ever was flirting with his waitress), but he was never in a rush to go anywhere.

In fact, Pony was able to find out that there was a place drive-in theater called the **Nightly Double** somewhere in the town. He expected something like that to be closed during the winter, but I guess enough kids were crazy enough to go in the cold. This extra addition kicked Hillsdale out of the competition.

At the end of the day Ponyboy felt like he knew the town inside and out. By the time it was getting dark, he found himself near an empty lot.

Taking it as a good place as any to spend one night, he headed towards a rusted car which looked to have the back seat pulled out of it. A bundle of newspaper laid on top of the seat.

As Pony got closer he saw what looked like a small fire burning out near the car. Curious, he got closer.

'_The fire is nicely made with sticks so it's not just an old cigarette was carelessly dropped. But then where's the person that made it?' _

Looking around, he froze when he heard a groan come from the newspaper.

'_What the hell?',_ he thought as he approached the seat with caution. There was without a doubt someone else here, he just didn't know how dangerous they could be.

Moving the newspaper that was covering the face, he laid his eyes upon a boy that looked about his age, maybe even younger with a tan face and even darker hair. A scar ran down the side of his face and Pony's more curious side couldn't help but wonder where the kid could have gotten it from.

Deciding that the kid looked like a harmless kicked puppy, he didn't back away when he saw brown, almost black eyes blink open.

Golly, he didn't know humans could jump that high.

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><p><strong>I hope you liked! Please reviewfavorite/follow!**

**I'm thinking of giving Darry a short quick entrance so we can start getting into introductions.**

**I hope I described Buck's place just about right. Sometimes Google does not help very much.**

**I hope it didn't feel rushed and if it did I'm sorry! I'm really tired so I'm trying to get this chapter done and over with.**

**I wanted winter and I wanted the Nightly Double so we're having both. I hope you like~.**

**Action is coming soon, I promise!**

**PM me if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or you just wanna tall because I like to talk too. :3**

**Until next time my lovelies~! **


	4. If I Told You What I Was

**Hello~! **

**So sorry this took awhile! Midterms got me caught up and then I got depressed because I didn't do so hot on one and then I had my last cheer competitions and then cheer ended but then school started and it was a mess. I've missed this story, though, and all of the wonderful readers that come with it! So I had a Shamrock Shake and some Chinese food and was all fueled up again! **

**I hope you enjoy this chapter! It's not as long as the others, but I put some action in it! And a cliffhanger~! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders**

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><p><em>If I told you what I was,<em>  
><em>Would you turn your back on me?<em>  
><em>And if I seem dangerous,<em>  
><em>Would you be scared?<em>  
><em>I get the feeling just because,<em>  
><em>Everything I touch isn't dark enough<em>  
><em>If this problem lies in me<em>

_Imagine Dragons- "Monster"_

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><p>Ok, so lunging forward and covering the kid's mouth probably wasn't the best idea, but it was all he could think of in that split second! Ponyboy's main goal was to NOT draw attention to himself and having a kid scream bloody murder, well let's just say that's pretty noticeable.<p>

The once dark skin was now pale and he could feel the figure trembling beneath him.

'_Crap, this isn't how it was supposed to go!'_

Slowly removing his hand and stepping back, Pony noticed a hand in the kid's jacket pocket, tightly wrapped around an object.

'_I think I have a couple guesses on what that is.'_

"Hey kid, it's ok I'm not gonna hurt you!"

Pony tried to step closer to the fire in order to give the stranger a better look at his face.

With his hands in the air, Pony sat down on the ground.

The dark skinned boy visibly relaxed and in the relieve of Pony, he took his hand out of his pocket.

"Who a-are y-y-you calling k-kid, kid." a tremor was detected in the voice that the boy tried to play off. He was now sitting up and his black eyes followed Pony's movements cautiously.

"Well," started Pony, "you do look younger than me."

A hint of annoyance flashed through the kids face. "Younger th-than you? Sh-shoot, you look thirteen."

"I'm fourteen." Pony said, slightly ticked from the previous comment.

A small smile of victory appeared on the boy's face, "Well I'm sixteen. That makes you two years younger than me and the kid."

Even though Ponyboy was glad he couldn't hear the stuttering in the kid's (well I guess not I kid anymore) voice, he was not happy to where the conversation ended up.

"Well if I can't call you kid, what can I call you?" Pony asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

There was a long pause as the stranger across from Pony studied him. After the eyes stopped wandering over his greasy hair and worn out jeans the boy finally said with a mutter,

"Johnny. Johnny Cade."

"A first and last name, I must be special."

Johnny shrugged and reached into his other pocket. Still on alert, Pony tensed until he saw him pull out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

"Want a cancer stick?"

Pony nodded and lit one. A small sigh escaped his lips as he scooted over to lean against the back seat. He can never spend his money on something like a cigarette but whenever he does get his hands on one, he'll savor it until there's nothing left.

He exhaled "So Johnny, what makes you sleep outside tonight?"

The body next to him flinched and tightened, "Why not?" was the only thing his quiet voice was able to get out. Pony was starting to think that that one outburst about age was going to be the only time in a while he'll ever hear Johnny's full voice.

"For one thing," Pony continued, "it's 30 degrees and dropping." he made his point by exhaling so a fog of breath would appear.

Johnny shrugged again. "It's kind of tense at home."

"Well that bruise on your cheek takes the 'kind of' out of that sentence."

A small hand went to cover the dark mark and he looked down to the point where his bangs were covering his eyes.

"Just a soc thing." was muttered out quickly.

Pony raised an eyebrow which made the black eyed boy next to him give a small chuckle, relieving some of the thick air around them."

"Well what's so funny?"

"Nothing!" Johnny said quickly, as if he was afraid he offended him, "You just looked like my friend for a moment. He does that all the time, drives me and the others crazy sometimes."

"So you do have friends." Pony said with a slight smirk, "Why don't you spend the night with one of them, then?

"It's fine out here."

Pony snorted, "If anything were to fall out of the sky right now it would be snow and all you have is a jacket and some newspaper." after a pause of silence, "The sun just went down an hour ago, too. I don't know your friends but if they're the same age as you I'd say they'd still be up and maybe worried."

This caused Johnny to reel back for a moment and then think. The only thing heard was the wind passing through the branches of trees and a car driving by once in a while.

"Why do you care anyways?" Johnny's small voice cut through the silence.

And Ponyboy thought about it. Why did he care?

"Because….I've been out here too many times on nights like this to know that this is the time your mind thinks is best for you to dwell on the negatives and forget about the positives."

Satisfied with his answer, he looked over to Johnny who had eyes wide and his mouth open in shock.

"W-Well what about you? Why are you out here?"

Pony let out his last breath of smoke before setting the cigarette by his foot and stomping on it.

"I guess the same reason as you." and it wasn't a complete lie. He left home because things were tense just like Johnny said, and him leaving caused him to sleep outside.

Johnny nodded hesitantly and got up. "Well I guess it wouldn't be so bad just to go over to their house for a little awhile." he walked a couple feet forward before stopping and turning around, "You can come too, they wouldn't mind an extra person."

Ponyboy gave a fake smile that almost hurt, "That's ok, I have somewhere else I gotta be."

"Ok, well um, maybe I'll see you around."

"Yeah maybe."

And with that final statement, Johnny left.

Ponyboy watched him go until he was out of sight and then took his place on the back seat cushions, covering up with the newspapers.

And as Johnny walked closer to the Curtis' house one thought entered his mind. _'I never asked him his name.'_

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><p>Waking up that Sunday morning came with a relieved feeling.<p>

First, Pony was relieved that he was still alive for another day, he wasn't lying when he said the temperature was going to drop.

He was also relieved that Johnny wasn't there when he woke up which, in his mind, meant that Johnny did stay at a friend's house that night instead of in the cold.

Hearing his stomach rumble in a way that was all too familiar, Pony got up and headed to the same diner he went to yesterday, feeling he would rather have one more hot meal with his left over money than some gas station little snacks.

There was a feeling of uneasiness as he made his way back to the streets and it followed him throughout his meal.

Something was going to happen today. He didn't know what nor could he place it as a bad or good feeling. Whatever it is, it made him glance over his shoulder every twenty seconds.

He quickly paid for his meal and walked out of the diner. He wanted to use his leftover change for a movie since it wasn't enough for another meal.

At first he took a slow relaxed pace with his steps, never in a rush anyways. However, that feeling of uneasiness came again but with full force. At that same time he saw a shadow the size of a car over his shoulder.

Pony quickly hastened his steps but he tried to do it in a nonchalant manner.

The car was having none of that and sped up with him.

Feeling panic squeeze his heart, Ponyboy broke out into a run.

"Hey Greaser!" and "Where you going trash?" were heard from the car.

'_Socs.'_ was all his mind was able to comprehend.

He knew this was going to happen at one point. He just thought he'd be out of this town before it did.

Trying to quicken his steps, Ponyboy prayed he was going in the direction of the Greaser side of town. If he wasn't, he didn't think he would survive.

As the car pulled up next to him, arms came out of windows and reached.

With his heart beating in his ears, he made a last minute turn, trying to shake the Socs.

He thought it worked when he heard the car stopped, but immediately paled when the sound of footsteps came after.

Pony was a fast runner, there was no doubt about that. He has used that to get him out of many situations. However, he was losing stamina and he could feel himself slowing down while these (most likely athletic stars at school) Socs were just warming up.

When Ponyboy felt himself stumble over a rock, he knew that was all the Socs needed to catch up to him.

A sense of hopelessness filled him as he felt a hand grab the back of his shirt and tackle him to the ground.

Pony and the figure rolled for a while before they came to a stop with the figure above him.

A quick punch to the face is what he felt first, causing him to bite his inner cheek. Blood filled his mouth which he spit out when another punch came to the other cheek.

"Thought you could out run us, Grease?" alcohol burned his nose and a kick was sent to his side, making him want to curl up.

"You escaped us last time, trash, but what are you gonna do now?" his head was bashed on the ground followed by a foot to his stomach.

Pain exploded beneath his eyes while nausea bloomed in his throat. He found himself gagging and spitting up more blood as a third punch came to his face, or was it the fourth? He couldn't even keep track anymore.

A silent moan escaped his lips as someone stepped on his stomach.

"You got something to say, Greaser?"

"I think he wants you to give him a haircut, Bob!" another one called out.

"Heh, you think so?" cool, sharp metal was pressed against his neck causing every cell in his body to freeze, "Well so do I."

The blade was moved away from his neck and to his arm where it dug down deeper, but not enough to break skin.

"How about you, trash?" the blade pushed down harder causing a droplet of blood to escape.

"Do you wanna haircut?"

Finally, the blade broke through, causing Pony to scream out.

"HELP!" ripped through his throat as he was able to find his voice again.

"Someone shut him up!"

"Gag him!"

A cloth was pressed in his mouth but muffled screams made their way out.

"You're gonna pay for that, Greaser!" the horrible feeling of the metal was back on his neck and it pushed down.

"What the hell are you doing?!" a new voice broke out followed by a new set of pounding steps.

The knife was removed from his neck as was the weight of the body on top of him.

Everything sounded like he had cotton in his ears, but he could still hear the sound of the car taking off.

"Hey, are you ok?" a softer voice said above him. Pony looked up and caught a blurry image of a person. He kind of looked familiar.

"Darry, he's not saying anything and bleeding all over the place!"

A new figure appeared above him.

"We'll take him back to the house." and then directed to him, "Come on, kid, stay awake."

"Jesus, that's one tuff cut on his neck!"

"You're not helping, Two-Bit!"

"Where are Dally and Steve?"

"Still chasing the Socs."

"Johnnycake, support his head for a minute."

"Darry, I think he's gonna pass out!"

And that's all he heard as black clouded the rest of his vision.

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><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review favorite/ follow! Brightens my day no matter what! **

**Sorry if some people were OOC. Especially Johnny.**

**I also hope you enjoyed the ending! Many asked for the big meeting so I decided to put it in! **

**Until next time, Loves!**


	5. Bleeding Out

**Hello~!**

**I meant to update last weekend, but I just got so caught up with things. My dog died and I've been really upset lately. At first my brother thought something was wrong with me because I wasn't crying but once I was alone I just balled my eyes out. It still feels like it's a dream, I mean we had her for nine years and then she's just gone. I didn't even get to really say good bye to her...**

**So yeah, I was a mess. I'm a bit better now, we made a shadow box for her. The Vet sent us her paw print and a lock of her fur and me and my mom got a picture of her and a nice poem and put them in the shadow box. **

**Anways, enough of my complaining. You guys have probably been dying for this chapter! Thank you all for supporting this story! You guys are my angels!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders**

**Please enjoy! _AND PLEASE READ THE A/N AT THE BOTTOM!_**

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><p><em>When the hour is night<br>And hopelessness is sinking in  
>And the wolves all cry<br>To fill the night with hollering  
>When your eyes are red<br>And emptiness is all you know  
>With the darkness fed<br>I will be your scarecrow_

_Imagine Dragons- "Bleeding Out"_

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><p>His head.<p>

That's the first thing Ponyboy felt.

He didn't dare open his eyes in fear that the sudden motion would make his brain bleed. It felt like someone took a spike from a train track and was ramming it through his eyes to the back of his skull.

Soon enough he felt his body trying to come to a little more by shoving his brain awake which only made the headache worse.

'_What happened?' _

Pony remembered the Socs, that's for damn sure. The way his body ached was a great reminder of that.

But then what?

After they slammed his head into the ground things got kind of fuzzy.

There was a knife. He doesn't think he'll ever forget about that part. The cool blade sliding across his skin until it started to slowly push down…..

A groan escaped his lips as he started to shift. Pony was laying on his back and it must've been for a while because he could feel pins and needles start to settle.

While trying to roll over in a pace that would be agonizing for even a snail, he felt a few cracks in his joints that made him moan in pain. When his swelling cheek landed on a soft and cool pillow he gave a sigh of relief.

'_Wait….pillow?"_

Ignoring the suffering agony that spread throughout his frame, Ponyboy sat up in one rapid movement.

While waiting for the black spots to clear from his vision, Pony got to scan the room in bits and pieces.

He was in a small bedroom. By the way the closet and dresser drawers seemed to be overflowing with jeans and old t-shirts, he would say it was a guy's room. He was laying on a full sized bed with a faded blue comforter.

An oak nightstand stood to the right of him, it's back to the same wall the bed was. The lamp being on told him it was already dark out. A picture of a couple was framed next to the lamp, and the only thing that looked clean in the room. Not to say that it was completely disgusting in there, it just needed some picking up and dusting.

A decrepit bookcase, with similar state of books, was leaning against the wall to his right, the one furthest from the door. A dusty desk was pushing the bookcase closer to the corner that connected the right wall to the wall the bed was up against.

There was a window with white, plastic blinds pulled down about a feet and a half away from the desk, the only window in the room actually.

An oak dresser to match the nightstand was right across from the bed with the closet to its left, Ponyboy's right.

'_And if that's the closet that mean…'_

Pony turned his head to the left wall and saw a wooden door that looked exactly like the closet one.

With his heart beating in his chest, Ponyboy cautiously got up and made his way to the door. He stumbled once but was able to catch himself on the golden doorknob. Pressing his ear to the wooden barrier, Pony was able to hear the sounds of muffled laughter, yelling, and….Mickey Mouse?

Ponyboy backed away until his knees touched the edge of the bed. His right arm banged against the bedpost making him flinch more than he thought he would.

Looking down he saw that his arm was wrapped in bandages. In fact, all of his cuts and bruises seems to be taken care of.

In the midst of his confusion, Pony just barely heard the sound of footsteps coming up stairs.

'_Oh God.'_ he thought, _'Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.'_

He wasn't ready to actually meet these people! Rule number one, don't trust anyone!

A swelling of fear stuck in his throat, making it harder to breath.

Which way could he go? He couldn't go out the door if the problem was coming to it. So what other way was there?

Quickly looking around the room, Pony's eyes landed on one thing.

'_The window!'_

With a burst of energy, Ponyboy was able to pry the window open, not even flinching when the biting wind of the winter air hit him.

He looked down to see no way to climb down.

The jiggling of the doorknob made him look back. In that split second, he decided.

There have been times when he's jumped out of higher,

'_So this shouldn't be too bad…...'_

Just as the door cracked open, he leaped.

Counting the seconds it took before he hit the ground, Ponyboy tucked and rolled when the earth became too close for comfort.

When he got up, Pony stretched to make sure nothing was severely broken or further injured.

A smile of victory danced across his face when the reassurance that he was fine came to mind. With adrenaline pumping through him, the injuries from before didn't even hurt at the moment.

His moment of triumph was ruined when he heard yelling behind him.

"What the hell are you doing kid?!"

Not even bothering to look back, Ponyboy booked it across their yard and down the street.

He didn't even care if they weren't following him, the greater distance between him and them, the better.

And he ran. He ran and ran and ran like it was the only thing that could keep him alive.

When the adrenaline was starting to wear off and his previous state took on a whole new level of pain, that's when he stopped.

While grasping his knees and catching his breath, something dawned on him suddenly.

His backpack.

It was still at that damn house!

The frustration of the situation made his headache come back full force.

'_No point in worrying about it now.' _because what could he do? He was NOT going back there. There wasn't much in there anyways. Just an extra shirt and some loose change. It still ticked him off that he lost it, though.

Pony grimaced when his stomach rumbled.

He knew he made a mistake going to that diner for those couple days. Now he was used to a plate full of hot out of the oven cuisine. It didn't take much for the change to happen.

Rubbing his stomach a little, Ponyboy brushed off the prickling nausea feeling in the back of his throat.

He started to look around to see if there was anything familiar about the area that could pinpoint where he was.

Nothing really stood out specifically but he just guessed that was because it was dark out and he'll be able to see better in the morning. All he really needed now was a place to sleep.

However, as Pony walked around two things made the thought of a peaceful slumber almost impossible.

Despite being dead tired, his heart beating a mile a minute in his ears was keeping him conscious. When he was in a lot of distress Ponyboy just couldn't stop moving. It was his way of blocking his emotions.

You couldn't show weakness to others. Like they were the predator and he was the prey. That's how he viewed the world.

Also, even though it was dark out, it was only about 7:30, meaning everyone was still out enjoying their last day of the weekend. Like he said before, you can't draw attention to yourself and believe him, you'd be surprised how many people would notice a kid sleeping on a bench, outside, in the cold.

Jack Frost nipped at his nose lightly, making him sniff and rub at it.

Pony's stomach begged for food, his body shivered to create its own warmth, his joints creaked and groaned with every step, and he's been walking for a half an hour to God only knows where. However, he's endured much worse and would not let a peep of complaint come from his mouth.

But he was still injured and walking around with a possible concussion was not going to help anyone.

As Pony started to unknowingly teeter into the road, a car horn blasted, shocking him out of his hazy mind.

Still shaken up by his last experience with a car, Ponyboy literally threw his body back onto the sidewalk keeping one eye on the moving vehicle.

He watched as the Mustang just shouted out one curse as it quickly turned and joined a line of cars trying to get into a parking lot that was packed with them.

Pony made a little jog to get past the corner that was blocking his view of the rest of the parking lot. As he got closer he saw there wasn't just cars but bleachers too, and a little snack stand stood behind the bleachers.

If anyone looked at him now they would see excitement dancing in his eyes like when a little kid on Christmas morning.

Yes, Ponyboy knew exactly what that place was. It was something he's been looking for since the first time he's heard of it.

When he was finally able to see an enormous screen with projections of animation being flashed onto it, his enthusiasm increased ten folds.

**The Nightly Double**

It was on a giant, illuminated sign above a ticket booth where the cars were lining up to get in, plus a separate line where people were walking in.

Pony was all but ready to sprint there, until he recalled something that didn't happen too long ago.

No backpack, no money, no movie.

A scowl claimed the spot where his smile once was and disappointment dropped in his stomach like a rock in a lake.

Yes, he was excited to get swept away in another adventure of a movie, but there was another reason he got so upbeat for.

All of those rich Socs and their bulging pockets filled with wallets and money were just _begging_ to be lifted.

With all of that cash he could go a whole week with warm meals and still have enough to head to the next town over.

It looked too good to be true. All he needed was to get in.

Looking around, Pony noticed that the drive-in was surrounded by a fence with barbed wire on top so no one can sneak themselves in without paying.

But climbing over wasn't the only way you could get in.

He got closer to the fence, inspecting every chain link top to bottom not missing a single one.

And then he finally found it.

It wasn't big, but it wasn't small either. It would work just fine.

The small opening near the bottom of the fence not too far away from the ticket booth looked like it had been manmade. A ditch in the ground directly below the opening in the fence said that it was used frequently.

With a smirk on his face that usually meant he was up to no good, Ponyboy slipped in with no problem.

He was going to be rich by the end of the night.

So for the rest of the evening he would alternate from lifting off of people to watching the movie from the bleachers.

He hardly saw the same person twice. On a school night you'd expect the place to be empty. However, as the night went on, the people never stopped coming.

Of course, he knew there was a risk of bumping into the same Socs that have been bothering him, but so far he hasn't seen a speck of them.

As he walked through the crowd of people by the concession stand, his hands would go in and out of pockets like a hyper bee would go from flower to flower.

Pony wasn't at the top of his game, and he'd admit that. His injuries were making him slower and with it being winter there was a lot more pockets to check for each person.

But he could deal with it, or at least that's what he told himself.

Ponyboy hasn't made many mistakes when he was pickpocketing, and when he did he would play it off as just a bump into someone. He would say he was sorry and then he'd never see that person again.

But he had a feeling that this time he wasn't getting out of it so easy.

It didn't take much. He was weaving in between a group of people with his hands darting from pocket to pocket. However, as his left hand just made it inside a jacket, someone bumped into his right arm making him cry out and jerk forward.

The action not only pulled the Soc forward and his money out, but the scream caught everyone's attention.

He didn't recognize this Soc so that means he wasn't the ones from before. But whether he was one of the ones before or not, he pissed a Soc off and that was never a good thing.

The Soc slowly turned around, looked at the money on the ground and then looked at Ponyboy and Pony was slightly curious whether that dark look in his eyes was natural.

Before Pony could even blink, the Soc grabbed the his shirt and tugged him forward,

"You trying to steal from me you little piece of shit?"

His hands moved from his shirt to his shoulder where he started to squeeze. It was the first time Pony realized that something might have already cracked there from earlier.

"Do you know what we do to trash like you?"

The Socs grip tightened, making Pony gasp. The pressure was escalating to a point where he thought a bone would snap this time. If this lasted any longer…

"Shoot, kid, how come we're always finding you in these situations?"

It felt like someone splashed cold water on his face. He knew that voice. He knew those footsteps. Looking over he saw _them._

It was the gang that helped him before. Not only that, but now that he got a good look at them he's already met most of them before.

There was the two guys from the gas station on the first day. The really handsome one was the one that called out. He was leaning on the second one, the one with the complicated swirls in his hair.

There was the guy that scared the shit out of him (yes he'd admit it) at the place called Buck's on the first night. At the moment he was staring at the Soc like a hungry animal, but Pony was sure it wasn't because of him it was just instinct.

He heard a laugh, a really obnoxious sounding yet contagious laugh come from the guy with the Mickey Mouse shirt, and he couldn't help but feel like he's heard it before.

The only guy he didn't know was standing in the front, and he was _huge. _This guy brought fear by his muscles, not his looks like the towheaded kid did.

And then there was…..

His eyes widened in shock

'_Johnny?'_

Hell he never thought he'd see him again! So those were the friends he was talking about. Maybe the house he was in before was where Johnny went to that night.

He got his eye and Johnny gave him a small smile and wave, which made the scary one look at him funny.

"You know this trash, Curtis?"

The movie star pushed off of his DX buddy and walked forward, a smile never leaving his face, "Hell yeah we know him! Lost him a while ago actually. Thanks for finding him for us!"

The Soc snorted and refused to let go, "Well your greasy friend here just tried to steal from me, if you think I'm letting him off easy you got another thing coming."

But the man never stopped smiling and without missing a beat retorted with, "Well he didn't get your cash, it's on the ground, so why don't you just let the kid go and we can forget about this. No harm done tonight."

The Soc stared at Soda and then stared at Pony and back at Soda. A sigh so small that only Pony heard it escaped through his nose. He let go of him, and to Ponyboy's horror, pushed him towards the group.

"Tonight only, Greaser. Next time I see his or your trashy face again, I won't hesitate."

And the Soc left, leaving him alone with a gang of Greasers staring at him.

He must've looked uncomfortable because the big one closest to him took a small step back saying as he did so, "Hey, we're not gonna hurt you."

But Pony didn't care what he said. His mind was on autopilot. He made a move to run before he felt something tug his arm back. It was the one with the ice cold eyes.

"You can't run from us again, kid, we just got you back! All that time putting up lost posters would've been for nothing!" the rusty side burned one said followed by a marathon of laughter. Ponyboy didn't think he would stop until the second DX guy knocked him on the head.

The muscular one looked down at Pony and yelled back to the other, "We should get back to the house, fellas. No point in hanging around here any longer."

There came some groans of disappointment about wanting to "hunt down some broads tonight" but as the towheaded one dragged him away, the rest followed, all too eager to find out who the mystery boy was.

The walk back to their house didn't take long, much to Pony's displeasure. Apparently he almost ran in an entire circle earlier making him feel like all that effort he put in running away was for nothing.

They tried to talk to him on the way there. Well, the movie star, Mickey Mouse, and Johnny did. Mickey Mouse just asked the most stupid and absurd questions anyways.

However, all three tried to get his name from him, but he refused to make a noise. He told himself the moment the guy loosened his grip just a little, he would bolt it out of there.

But he never did, and as the house he left behind before came into view, Pony's heart beat quicker.

He tried to squirm his way out of the strong grip, but it only tightened, making escape inevitable.

When they entered the home, he was thrown on an old raggedy looking couch. The movie star sat to his left while Johnny sat to his right.

The hood leaned against a wall closest to the door. Ponyboy was guessing that was to make sure he didn't escape.

Both swirly hair and Mickey sat around a coffee table that was in front of the couch, although both didn't pick up the forgetting cards on the table.

Finally, the muscular man turned off the T.V. and looked back at him in a way a parent may look at a child about to be scolded.

"Ok, kid, enough of the silent treatment. Who are you?"

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><p><strong>Please reviewfavorite/follow! Your kind words and support make me blossom like a flower!**

**Hahahaha you guys must hate me. Yeah, sorry about another cliffhanger, but this time you know for sure the next chapter is them interacting!**

**You should have seen me trying to figure out how the room would look like! My family thought I was crazy! I was standing in the middle of the living room mumbling to myself and pointing to different walls.**

_**PLEASE READ!**_

**Many have told me they've been waiting for a story like this to come out and I'm so happy I wrote it! Some even said they were thinking about writing one of their own before this came out. So I was just wondering, it there anything you'd like to see that hasn't already been set up to happen? In your head, what did you imagine as you day dreamed bits and pieces of the idea? Any specific ideas you'd like to share that you're dying to read? PM me or review them and I'll see if I can make it happen!**

**Good bye my loves!**


	6. Feeling Like An Astronaut

**I am SO sorry for taking so long with this chapter! So many things happened. The last chapter was a month before spring break so teachers were trying to cram and then I went to Florida and my dad doesn't like me going on my laptop all the time so I couldn't update then. Then after spring break teachers were rushing to finish things before finals. Then my Grandpa died. Then we had finals. Then summer started and I just forgot to update. Then I fractured my ankle. 2014 really sucks so far. **

**But an amazing Living-Life-To-It's Fullest PMed me and asked me to continue so I knew it was time to write another chapter!**

**But all of you guys are amazing! Thank you for sticking with me! I love you all!**

**I have taken all of your ideas into consideration and I love them all! I will definitely be using them! I couldn't fit any in this chapter because the gang and Pony are still on stranger terms, but I will in the future!**

**And here it is!**

**The chapter you've all been waiting for (until the next chapter)!**

**I hope you enjoy!**

**I don't have a beta so I apologize for any mistakes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders**

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><p><em>'Cause tonight I'm feeling like an astronaut<br>Sending SOS from this tiny box  
>And I lost all signal when I lifted up<br>Now I'm stuck out here and the world forgot  
>Can I please come down? (come down)<br>'Cause I'm tired of drifting around and round (and round)  
>Can I please come down?<em>

_Simple Plan- "Astronaut"_

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><p>A minute passed. And then two. Then five.<p>

Absolutely nothing was said.

Did they really think he was that easy? That he would give in after the big guy demanded him to talk?

Well they better think again because Pony has spent way too much time on the streets to be that much of a pushover.

A frustrated sigh comes from the muscles man in front of him and when Pony looks up he can visibly see a vein popping out of his forehead.

Now that he thinks about it, wasn't that there before? Must be a stress thing.

The man uncrosses his arms and clenches his fists by his side. As he goes to open his mouth again he takes one step making Pony give a violent jerk as a cringe of protest.

Ponyboy couldn't help his reaction. In his past when a big angry man comes closer to you it was usually followed by pain.

The handsome one next to him seemed to have noticed the cringe because in the next moment he was up and placing a hand on the stronger one's shoulder.

"Hey now," the movie star said with his regular cheery voice but it seemed to be laced with something much more soothing that was directed towards him, "how 'bout we introduce ourselves first? Mom used to say that was the polite thing to do, right Darry?"

The big one, Darry, gave a huff and backed off a bit.

"Ok so I'm Sodapop Curtis but you can call me Soda! It's my real name, it's on my birth certificate and everything!" he puffed out his chest in a proud fashion making the swirly hair one at the coffee table snort in amusement.

"And this here," Soda patted the shoulder of the giant man next to him, "is my big brother Darry Curtis! He may be big but on the inside he's all soft!"

The statement made Darry push Soda onto a nearby recliner chair causing him to laugh in glee.

However, Mickey Mouse seemed to have the loudest laugh as he said "Yeah just like Dally! All scary and horrifying to look at on the outside but a teddy bear on the inside!"

This elected a growl from the one by the door and the swirly haired to smack the upside of his hand off the back of Mickey's head but that didn't stop the marathon of giggles that followed.

Soda sat up on the chair and brushed himself off.

"Yeah, that guy over there," he casually threw his hand in the direction of the one at the door, "Is Dallas Winston, but we sometimes call him Dally! And that goof ball over there is Two-Bit Mathews! That's not his real name but we call him that because-"

"Because I always have to get my two bits in!" the ones with the sideburns shouted with joy. A little drunken joy.

The one next to him smacked him in the head again followed by a "Shut up Two-Bit."

Sodapop cackled at the sight. "They one next to Two-Bit is my best buddy Steve Randle! And the one next to you is Johnny Cade." he looked at the two of them in confusion while recalling the night's events, "But I guess you already knew that, huh?"

Soda leaned forward in his chair closer to Pony and put a bigger smile on his face that showed off his perfect white teeth.

"So now that you know our names, what's yours?"

Ponyboy squirmed in his seat, now feeling an uneasy feeling settle in his stomach.

"Look," he strained out, "thanks for saving me and all, I really appreciate it, but I think it'd be a better idea if I just go now."

Slowly, Pony began the process of getting up, which unfortunately made him remember the beating he got the other day while his bones and muscles screamed in protest.

He didn't even make it halfway before a hand came up and pushed his body back onto the couch.

With a huff of annoyance, Pony looked up at his assailant which surprisingly turned out to be the one with a gallon of grease in his hair, Steve.

"Kid we saved your sorry ass not once but twice. I think we deserve answers."

Ponyboy put his best glare on his face and made to get up again only to be pushed down by his same attacker.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Pony cried out with a sense of urgency.

Steve stood taller for what Pony guessed as a way to look down at him even more than he already was. His scowl seemed to intensify when a snaggle tooth peaked from his upper lip.

"Our problem?! You're acting like an ungrateful little brat!"

Ponyboy was actually able to jump up this time to try and get eye level with Steve, although that didn't work out so well since he was a head or two smaller than the teen.

"Why does it matter what my name is?! This is going to be the last time you ever see of me!"

His sudden outburst caused just the right amount of distraction for him to slip past Steve and bolt towards the door.

The towheaded one, Dallas, grabbed his arm in haste but he was able to maneuver his body in a way for the man to lose his grip.

As he ran into the night he looked back to see Soda and Johnny at the door, both wearing distressed looks on their faces.

A new feeling spread throughout his body. He didn't know what it was or what to do with it but it felt fuzzy and warm. Quickly he pushed it down and kept running until the house and the people inside were no longer in view.

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><p>At the house, Soda is ready to run after the kid until Darry pulls him back into the house while Dally brings Johnny in.<p>

"What the hell are you going, Dar?! We have to go after him!" Soda objected with the thrash of his body before Darry throws him onto the couch.

"Soda calm down he obviously didn't want to be here! I bet he wouldn't even open his mouth if we dragged him back here again!"

However, Sodapop tried to protest, "It doesn't matter if he doesn't want to be here, what matters is where he's headed now! And he would still be here if you guys didn't scare him off!"

Steve snorted and laid a hand on his best friend's shoulder, "Shoot Soda, you and I both know he was planning on running no matter what we said to him."

"Yeah but-"

"Besides," Steve continued, "it's no use now, we have absolutely no idea where he went off to and it's the middle of the night."

Soda calms down a little bit but still looks at the door anxiously.

A loud bang causes heads to turn towards Two-Bit, the noise being a beer bottle (when the hell did he get that?) he smacked onto the table.

"Don't worry about nothing Soda, ya dig? A mouse could run around the town in less than an hour, it's so small. Do you know how many times I've run into the same broad I left in bed the night before no matter how hard I try to avoid her? But on the other hand when you see the black eye you gave a Soc the other day, worth it for me!" Two-Bit took another swig of his drink while chuckling over the thought.

Dally, who's been silent most of the time the chaos was happening, looked at Johnny and asked what's been on his mind all night, "Hey, Johnny, how'd the kid know your name?"

The sudden question peaked Soda's interest as he too turned to Johnny for the answer, "Yeah Johnnycakes, do you two know each other or something?"

Johnny, feeling slightly awkward with all the eyes on him, muttered, "I just met him the other night, he was sitting where I usually hang out in the lot."

Everyone knew "hanging out" meant "where I sleep" but no one pointed it out.

Dally casually lit a cigarette, forgetting that he was in the Curtis house for a moment.

"Is he the one who told you to spend the night here instead?" Dallas said casually as he flicked the cigarette out the open window after Darry's grumble of "Put the damn thing out or smoke outside."

Johnny, forgetting momentarily that he tells Dally everything, nodded his head without looking up from the carpet.

"Well I guess I wasn't the only one then."

The gang's attention was then turned to Dally as he took a seat in Darry's chair.

"You've seen him too, Dal?" Johnny murmured, afraid of saying something his idol wouldn't like.

"Yeah at Buck's a couple nights ago."

"I think I might've caught a glimpse of him at The Dingo once or twice." added Two-Bit.

"Me and Sodapop saw him at the DX some time ago. He went to the bathroom and the lifted a bag of chips or something from the store. Soda paid for it though." Steve casually threw out.

Darry eyes narrowed, "So he's a punk?"

"NO!" was Soda's sudden outburst, "No," he said calmer this time, "you didn't see him Darry. No he's not a punk."

His sudden exclamation gained him many strange looks from the gang, but he ignored all of them.

"Welp," Two-Bit said while getting up, "I'll look out for him tomorrow! I'll drive around town with my truck!"

"Two-Bit you have school tomorrow." Darry reminded off hand.

"Doesn't mean I have to go, Superman!" said man threw a pillow which hit him in the face.

"Steve and I will keep an eye out at the DX to see if he passes by again!" Soda shouted and threw his arm around Steve's shoulders while the teen reluctantly agreed under his breath even though he himself was curious about the mystery kid too.

Johnny quickly added, "I'll look for him too."

Dally gave a side glance at Johnny before promising to look around for the kid sometime tomorrow.

Everyone stared at him in surprise before he gave his own '_stare_' that caused all eyes to look away.

Darry gave sigh, "I'll keep an eye out too." because he too was curious and worried for the kid.

"So," he continued, "is anyone staying the night?"

"Sorry Dar, my mom is going to kill me for being this late already!"

"My dad should be asleep by now, I'll snooze in my own bed tonight."

"I haven't been home in a while…."

"I'll walk you home, Johnny."

One by one everybody left until Soda and Darry were left in the living room.

"Do you think we'll see him again Darry?"

Darry gave a glance at his little brother "Most likely. Like Two-Bit said it's a small town." Darry hesitated with his next question before adding, "Why do you care so much anyways?"

"I just….I just think he needs help."

Darry is silent for a minute, "We'll see him tomorrow," he finally says, "how can we not with how much trouble he gets into."

Soda laughs at this, "Yeah you're right. Well I don't know about you but I think it's been a long night! I'm hitting the hay!" while heading for the stairs he yells, "Good night!" which is followed by the same response.

Once Soda's in his room he picks up a letter that he's been rereading for a while and then throws it into the trash.

He didn't care if Sandy didn't love him or that the baby wasn't his. For the longest time he's felt like he's been missing something in his life or someone. He thought it was Sandy and was so happy when he finally met her.

But now, thinking back on it, it was never Sandy. There is someone else out there that belongs with him, no, them. And he was going to find that person.

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><p><strong>That's a wrap! So there's another chapter! Again so sorry this took so long! <strong>

**But I hoped you liked it none the less!**

**So some characters may seem mean at this point but as they get to know Pony more there will be a lot more fluffy times!**

**Also if there's any grammar problems when people are talking, I wrote it like that on purpose because they're teens and they say stuff wrong.**

**Now my brother is spraying me with a bottle every time I do something he doesn't like so I got to go.**

**Please review/favorite/follow! Seriously makes my day and my life! You guys are the best reviewers ever!**

**PM me if you have any questions!**

**Until next time lovelies!**


	7. Sympathy for the Devil

**I am terrible at updating. Guys I am so sorry! Especially to those who PMed me and I said I would soon but I never did. And here we are months later! This chapter was just major writing block though. And honestly I was just being lazy like I was a part of that Snowvember thing and I had two weeks of doing nothing and just stared at this blank canvas! **

**But it's here now and I want to let you guys know that I WILL NEVER ABANDON THIS STORY! This is the only story I wrote that I actually still like! **

**The rest of the A/N is at the bottom which I suggest you read for a little surprise~!**

**Anyways, Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders.**

**Pleased to meet you  
>Hope you guess my name<br>But what's puzzling you  
>Is the nature of my game<strong>

**Rolling Stones- "Sympathy for the Devil"**

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><p>After running away from the Curtis house for a second time, Ponyboy found a park bench to take a breather on. He tried to will his body to drift away and rest for a few hours but Mother Nature wasn't having any of that. It was as if she was saying -"All you have to do is turn around and you'll be back in a comfy living room with people who care about you."<p>

Ponyboy scoffed at the thought. He hasn't even had a pleasant conversation with them yet. Just because they've seen him around doesn't mean they care about him.

'_It's all in your head Ponyboy."_

He twisted his body so he was laying on the bench instead of sitting on it. Subconsciously, he felt for his bag to place under his head as a makeshift pillow and let out a whine when he remembered where he left it.

Determined to at least get a few hours of sleep, Pony pulled his jacket around him tightly and curled up into a ball to contain what little heat he had.

'_Tomorrow__,' _he thought as his eyes started to droop, _'I'll figure everything out __tomorrow__.'_

The homeless boy was then fast asleep.

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><p>Ponyboy was always an early riser. He slept outside for God's sakes where the light hits your eyes the fastest and the wind tears at your skin.<p>

That's why he was very surprised to wake up around noon instead.

He must have been really out of it last night, but who could blame him?! Those people just wouldn't leave him alone. It was like an interrogation! He hoped that was the last time he ever sees them again.

'_No you don't.' _a little part of his brain said but Pony, like always, tended to ignore it.

Pony rolled his neck feeling a bit stiff from sleeping on the bench as well as in the cold. He got up and shook his limbs out to try and get the feeling back.

Not that many people were on the streets which was understandable since it was a Monday. Because of that no one questioned why a 14 year old was sleeping on a bench in the middle of winter which worked out great for him.

He quickly looked around the area to double check. If he had one more meeting with a Soc he didn't think he'd be able to handle it. The bruises and hole in his cheek were still sore enough to make him wince.

The area was clear so Ponyboy began to walk nonchalantly to...well anywhere. There was no specific place for him to go to.

Pony froze when he heard a loud almost monstrous sound which he quickly recognized as his stomach begging for food.

While frowning, he reached into his pockets to see if he had even a little bit of money to get him a meal. He hasn't rummaged through the garbage in a lot time and he didn't want to start again now.

Pony sighed when his pockets came up empty.

'_Maybe there's a convenience store somewhere.'_

He knew there was the DX gas station but he really didn't want to have another run in with those guys. They probably already noticed that he shoplifted them once, he didn't want to do it again.

Ponyboy shook his head and started looking at his surroundings, but he couldn't get that nagging feeling to go away. The one that tells him that he wasn't cut out to be on the streets.

'_Someday I won't need to be.' _

It was a fantasy he always liked to spend his time thinking about. Someday he'll have enough money to never have to steal again. Someday he'd buy a house, a small one cause who has time to be fancy, and never have to sleep outside unless, of course, he was camping. He'd camp with people who actually cared about him. They'd be his best friends. They'd be his family. He'd be able to tell them anything. They'd never let him go hungry again. They'd take care of him when he's sick or even hurt. He'd actually be happy for once.

'_Yeah someday.'_ he'd dig that just fine.

But it was impossible. If his own parents didn't want him, who else would?

Ponyboy ran a hand through his hair and looked around.

'_Where the hell am I now?_

He was always doing this. Daydreaming while walking and then getting lost. He was starting to get rid of that habit too.

While looking towards his right he saw a giant tan and white brick building with wide grass patches which were currently covered in a light dust of snow. There was an American flag blowing in the wind while hanging on a tall pole and teenagers walking either in or out of the building. A tall sign in big block letters read WILL RODGERS HIGH SCHOOL on top of the front doors as well as on the announcement board.

Ponyboy stood back and looked upon it with slight awe. He has never seen a school that big in his life. Of course, he only went to grade school. His parents never bothered to enroll him into junior high. That's when he started to go to libraries for education. He didn't have a lot of friends in grade school so no one bothered to find out what happened to him. He should currently be in 8th grade and he would do anything if it meant he could go back.

Having nothing better to do, Pony started walking around the outside of the building. He got some looks from people but no one bothered him. He probably looked like just another student.

The school was absolutely stunning. It was clearly a great example of Art Deco. The designs in the architecture were simply amazing.

Ponyboy spent almost half an hour roaming around the building when he finally spotted a sight that took his breath away.

It was probably the most beautiful track he has ever seen (not that he's seen a lot). The white lines and orange bits of rubber looked fresh, like they haven't been ran on in months.

Pony quickly walked up to the fence and pulled the gate but it wouldn't budge. He looked down only to see a lock and chain holding it in place.

'_Oh,' _he thought, _'Maybe that's why it looks so new.'_

Pony looked at the track in longing. He just needed to run on it for one lap. One lap would keep him satisfied. He's seen running tracks but he's never actually tried one out for himself.

Determination filled his eyes. He quickly looked around to make sure no one was watching him. He then took a couple steps back.

With a combination of speed and a powerful leap, he was able to jump over the fence and land with ease.

While smiling, Ponyboy walked over to the orange tartan surface and felt the ground. Despite it being cold outside, the track was still warm from the sun.

He got chills down his body but more from excitement than from the air. He started with a slow jog to warm his muscles up. That jog soon turned into running and then that turned into sprinting.

Pony has never felt more free than when he was running. He imagined himself tryout for the team and breaking the school record. He imagined himself being in the finals, about to win the grand title for his school. He imagined himself in the Olympics and coming home with a gold medal. He imagined all this and more as he ran because that was the time where he liked to think the most. He could let go of all his worries and just be himself.

This was where he belonged. It's where he felt invincible where nothing could reach him or hurt him or even disturb him….

"Hey greaser!"

...until now.

Ponyboy turned around to see a three Socs with jock jackets running towards him and quickly gaining speed.

Making a quick decision to not find out what those guys wanted, Ponyboy made a sharp turn and head towards the fence. As he prepared to jump he stumbled and tried to recover mid air by reaching his hand out towards the fence. He made it over but with a long gash on his palm from a piece of metal that was sticking up.

The adrenaline coursing through his body made him ignore the wound and keep running. He was able to make it back to the building and round a corner to take him to the back. While leaning against the wall to catch his breath he took a peek to see if the Socs were still following him.

A feeling of relief came when he saw that they were actually turning around to head back to the front of the building.

But that feeling did not last very long.

"What you looking at?"

Ponyboy flinched so hard he hit his head on the brick wall.

"Jesus Christ." he shouted while rubbing the back of his head. He looked over to see two familiar faces, one of which was laughing so hard Pony thought he was going to rupture a lung.

"Hahaha Sorry kid! Didn't mean to scare ya! But shoot you jumped so high you looked like a kangaroo!" Two-Bit was able to vocalize between his chuckling. Next to him was the ever timid Johnny who gave him a small wave. He gave his own wave back but then he felt Two-Bit grab his wrist and pull Pony's hand closer to his face.

"What'cha do their kid?" Two-Bit asked with slight concern on his face.

Ponyboy tugged his hand back and hid it behind him, "Nothing important." he snapped.

Two-Bit held up his hands in surrender, "Hey I dig." he then took a pack of kools out of his leather jacket and held them out, "You want a smoke?"

Pony looked at the pack with longing and reluctantly took one. He put the cancer stick between his lips and accepted the lighter. He let his head fall to rest on the wall while he blew the smoke out. His body started to relax as he finally got what he's been craving for.

Two-Bit put both the Kools and the lighter back into his pocket, "So what you doing around here kid?"

Ponyboy shrugged and put his hands in his pockets, "Just walking around. And don't call me kid."

A wide grin split across Two-Bits face, "Well give me something else to call you and I'll stop calling you kid, kid."

Pony just remained silent and instead started to kick the ground.

Two-Bit, thinking the kid was about to bolt on them again quickly spoke to calm him down, "Me and Johnnycakes here were just about to leave. We have a friend that could help you with that hand."

Ponyboy looked up at him and then back at his hand. It was a pretty deep gash and he had no money to even buy bandages, forget about medicine. It'll get infected and infected fast. They'll be finding his body in a snow bank.

So instead of that, what could be the harm of visiting this friend.

Ponyboy kicked off the wall to stand straight and looked at Two-Bit. Two-Bit took this as a sign that he was going with them and threw his arm around Pony's shoulders with a smile. The trio then started to walk to Two-Bit's car.

Two-Bit tried to spark another conversation about….well Ponyboy didn't even know. He couldn't keep up with the words coming out of his mouth.

Finally Ponyboy saw a rusty truck which he assumed was Two-Bit's car. He slid into the back seat, thinking that Johnny would get the in the front. Instead he saw Two-Bit whisper something in Johnny's ear and Johnny slid into the seat next to him.

Two-Bit hopped into the driver's seat and started the car.

"Hold on boys it's going to be a bumpy ride!" with a cackle Two-Bit stepped on the gas and pulled out of the parking lot. Johnny instinctively held onto the seat while Ponyboy went flying and hit his head (once again) on the roof of the car.

Two-Bit looked back at him and didn't have a hint of guilt on his face, "Sorry about that kid! I did warn you!"

Ponyboy glared at Two-Bit and then looked at Johnny who had a small smile on his face. When Pony looked closer he could see a new bruise forming on the bottom of his jaw.

Ponyboy nudged him with his elbow to get his attention and asked, "How you doing, Johnny?"

Johnny looked at him with those big, black, puppy dog eyes and replied, "Fine. You?"

"Fine." Ponyboy copied.

The car made a sharp turn into a small parking lot which made Pony and Johnny collide.

"What the hell, Two-Bit?" Johnny demanded in one of his rare voices.

Two-Bit laughed and turned the car off, "We're here!"

While trying to untangle himself from Johnny, Pony looked out the window and saw a very familiar sign that made his heart start to beat faster and his face drain to a nice shade of white.

DX was displayed very clearly in front of him.

Before he had time to bolt, Two-Bit came out of nowhere and grabbed his arm to pull him out of the car.

"Common, kid, let's get that hand looked at!"

Ponyboy tried to pull his arm away but Two-Bit only held on tighter like he was expecting him to do that.

He glanced over at Johnny who gave him a sympathetic look.

When the group walked through the door a familiar chime rang through the room.

"Hello my wonderful fans!" Two- Bit proudly exclaimed, "Your hero has arrived!"

"We're in the garage!" Sodapop's voice shouted back.

Two-Bit jumped over the counter and started playing with the things behind it, "You weren't at school today Stevey!"

"You know I work full time on Mondays, Two-Bit!"

The more familiar voices he heard, the more Ponyboy seemed to shrink into himself. He couldn't believe he was meeting these people again! After he swore to himself he wouldn't!

"Hey, Soda," Two-Bit yelled, "come here we've got an injury!"

Footsteps were heard making their way from the garage to the store, "What'd you do this time Two-Bit? Or is it Johnny?" Soda asked while he walked into the room, but then he stopped as he spotted Ponyboy. His eyes widened slightly but he quickly recovered as Pony started to shift nervously.

Soda took a tentative step forward, "Whatcha doing here, kid?"

Ponyboy just silently stood there, determined not to talk. Two-Bit, however, wasn't having any of that. He took hold of Ponyboy's wrist and held out the injured hand for Soda to see.

"Kid got himself cut up, mind taking care of it, buddy?"

Soda gently took the hand into his and examined the wound, "Looks kind of deep, but I think all it needs is a bandage. Did you wash it yet?"

Pony shook his head no and tried to take back his hand again. Soda just held on tighter and started tugging him towards the bathroom.

"While you're washing it I'll try to find the first aid kit. Be back soon!" Soda said as he started to walk away.

Ponyboy looked away from the door and turned on the sink. When he looked up at the mirror he saw the crack that he left the last time he was there. Pony quickly looked away, trying not to remember what he was thinking at the time he did that.

The first drop of water stung like hell and he had to flinch away. He soon got used to the feeling and had no problems washing the rest of the cut.

When he was done he walked back out to the front of the store where he saw Soda frantically looking for the first aid kit with Johnny and Two-Bit standing in the background.

Two-bit saw him walk in first and took his hand back into his, "Looks a lot better." he observed.

"Dammit! I can't find it anywhere. Steve!", Soda yelled, "Where's the first aid kit?"

"Where it's always been, Soda!" Steve yelled back, "In the cabinet underneath the counter!"

Soda looked confused but checked none the less, "Oh there it is!" he cried out in joy, "I didn't even know there was a cabinet down there."

"Of course you didn't," Steve remarked smartly as he walked into the store also, "Who's hurt anywa-" but he stopped once he realized who was in the room with the others.

"What's the kid doing here?" he asked.

"Not a kid." Ponyboy mumbled underneath his breath. Why was everyone calling him that today?

"You're short enough to be one." Steve, who heard him, replied.

Soda opened the first aid kit, "He's got a nasty gash on his hand, I'm just gonna bandage it up for him."

He first took out rubbing alcohol which made Ponyboy recoil in dismay.

"Sorry, kid," Soda said sympathetically, "I have to do this."

Once he was done with the rubbing alcohol, he then applied an ointment that took the sting away and soothed the burning feeling.

Since the scratch was too big for a regular band-aid, Soda wrapped the wound with a layer a gauze.

"There all done!" Soda shouted in joy.

Ponyboy marvelled at how much it felt better and looked at Soda with appreciation, "Thanks a lot!" he said with a true genuine smile.

Soda, shocked and happy that he got such a reaction out of the strange boy, smiled back, "No problem!"

An awkward silence then fell upon everyone, making Ponyboy once again feel uncomfortable. It was only interrupted when his stomach made that horrific noise again, indicating that he was still hungry.

Pony blushed and looked away, "Sorry I um I'll just be going now to um get something to eat. Thanks a lot again for, well um, yeah."

As he was turning around to go, someone grabbed his shoulder. It turned out to be Soda.

"Hey you don't have to leave. My big brother, Darry, is making baked chicken tonight for dinner. You can eat with us!" Soda gently explained trying to convince the kid to come over.

"Wait!" Two-Bit interrupted in excitement, "Baked chicken with fried potatoes?! I am so coming over for dinner tonight, man!"

Steve punched him in the shoulder, "He wasn't inviting you Nit-Wit!"

Everyone looked towards Ponyboy for his answer.

Well, he could either take the risk of getting thrown in jail for shoplifting a half full bag of chips, or he could get a full free meal. But that meant going back to that house. However, his bag was there also so he had to grab that. He could always do an eat and run.

It was once again quiet as everyone waited in anticipation for his answer. Finally, Ponyboy looked at Soda and shrugged.

"Sure, I can go for a bite."

* * *

><p><strong>Yay another chapter! This was a lot harder to write than I thought. I hope it's good enough I mean you guys were so patient with me and maybe this is kind of like a filler, so I'm sorry about that. But next up we have dinner at the Curtis'! <strong>

**Don't worry it's not going to be like "Here have some food, do you want to live with us now!" That second part is still going to take a while!**

**I love all of the suggestions and ideas you had for the story and I promise I'll try to fit all of them in! Most of them were things that will happen after the gang and Pony get more acquainted with each other. **

**Will Rodgers High School is where S.E. Hinton went to school and since she was in high school when she wrote it and the book was based off of what she saw between Socs and Greasers, we can only assume that WRHS is where the others go to school.**

**If anyone from that school is reading this I just have to say that your school is BEAUTIFUL! Absolutely stunning!**

**But the one thing about it is that it doesn't have a junior high. You go right from grade school to high school which is like 7-12. I'll keep that in the story.**

**SO I've decided that I like writing AUs for The Outsiders and after this one is done I think I'll write some more! I already think I'll do a Ponygirl one in the future. BUT if you guys like my writing and want me to write one of your AUs for Ponyboy just review or PM it! When this story is close to being over (which it is not at this point), I'll put all of your ideas on a poll and have you guys vote for which one you want to read the most first! **

**However, if you want a sick Ponyboy AU I can't do cancer, it has to be some other illness.**

**Thank you guys for putting up with me! Please review/favorite/follow!**

**Goodbye my lovelies!**


	8. Elastic Heart

**I feel like every chapter is going to start off with an apology because I am HORRIBLE at updating. Guys, I am so so so so SO sorry. That energy to write is just so hard to find sometimes. Plus I got a job (which I hate), so this summer has been busy and sucking. But what teenager likes to work? God I sound lazy XD. There should be a job where all you have to do is read or write fanfiction. Sign me up for that please~! ;D**

**Anyways, DAN DADA DAN! Another chapter! I told you guys I wouldn't abandon this story and I meant it! I am very sorry how late this is, though. Especially to the people who PMed me!**

**Special shout outs to Clemmy-Cloo14 and Couragexoxo!**

**Clemmy-Cloo14, thank you for PMing so long ago! I'm sorry this didn't come out sooner!**

**Couragexoxo, what a happy coincidence I started this on your birthday! I dedicate this chapter as an early birthday present for you! XD**

**Thank you everyone for taking the time to review! It means so much to me! Especially the guests who don't have an account!**

**So enough of me talking, I know you've been waiting a very long time for this!**

**Enjoy~!**

* * *

><p><em>Well, I've got thick skin and an elastic heart,<em>  
><em>But your blade - it might be too sharp<em>  
><em>I'm like a rubber band until you pull too hard,<em>  
><em>Yeah, I may snap and I move fast<em>  
><em>But you won't see me fall apart<em>  
><em>'Cause I've got an elastic heart<em>

_Sia- "Elastic Heart"_

* * *

><p>After he agreed to eat at the Curtis' place they stayed a little bit longer at the DX waiting for Steve and Soda to clock out for the day. During that time period they tried to get as many answers out of him as possible about his name. They, at first, attempted to be discreet about it as to not upset him.<p>

Well most of them did. Discreet wasn't exactly in Two-Bit's dictionary.

One thing they all realized was that he hated being called 'kid'. So, of course, they called him that as much as possible as to get his real name.

"Come on, _kid, _your name can't be so bad you can't even speak it! My name's _Sodapop_ for god's sake!" Soda whined at the cash register.

Johnny shifted a little next to Ponyboy as he quietly spoke, "I like your name Soda, it's tuff."

Sodapop gave a big grin and threw a candy bar from the counter towards Johnny who caught it easily. "Thanks Johnnycakes, I think it's pretty tuff too. Gotta be original in this world! Besides" Soda started with a mischievous look towards Two-Bit, "at least it's better than _Keith."_

Two-Bit looked up from behind Johnny and Pony, his hand halfway to Johnny's candy bar without the boy's knowing. Two-Bit took the candy bar anyways, ignoring the annoyed "Hey!" that came from Johnny, and stuffed it in his mouth.

"I resent that!" Two-Bit said between bites.

Sodapop gave a pointed look towards Two-Bit. "Don't go pickin' on Johnny or I'll tell Darry and he'll hide the chocolate cake from you again."

Two-Bit's eyes went wide as he raised his hands in the air in a 'I surrender' motion and backed up from the two youngest.

Ponyboy silently chuckled at this and a small smile went across his face. He turned from looking at Two-Bit and caught the eyes of Soda which made Pony's smile disappear and he looked at the ground again.

Soda let out a small sigh. He didn't know what happened to the kid but he would do anything to see him smile like when he fixed the kid's hand for him. There was something special about him, something that made Soda want to see him happy.

Ponyboy, however, was having none of that. He was only going with them for a hot meal, nothing more. After that he wanted nothing to do with the gang.

'_Although you always say that and look what keeps happening.'_

Yeah but it wasn't his fault he kept running into the gang, it's not like he's been actively searching for them.

They're the ones who had an obsession with him, why couldn't they just let him be?

He's been a runaway for so long and he's realized one thing; he was meant to be alone. He just wasn't cut out to be surrounded by people, or at least, people that care about him. He didn't even like to be touched by others, how could he be involved with a family?

'_But you didn't mind it when Two-Bit was slinging his arm around you.'_

Pony shook his head as if to scramble his thoughts.

He didn't need this right now. He deserved to be alone and that was that.

Sodapop, who was still staring at the boy, noticed his distressed look, and as if on instinct, started to make his way over to comfort him.

However, he didn't make it very far until Steve sauntered back into the front of the shop and threw the dirty rag that he was using to clean his hands with in Soda's face. Soda threw it right back which Steve caught with a laugh and set it on the counter.

"Now that Steve is _finally _done with that last car, let's head over to my house before Darry thinks we're late for dinner!"

"Thank _God_!" Two-Bit yelled, already sprinting to his truck.

Johnny, seeing that Pony was hesitating walking out the door, put a hand on his shoulder and guided him to Two-Bit's truck. He tried to ignore the slight flinch that came from the boy.

Ponyboy got in the backseat and Johnny followed, closing the door behind him. Two-Bit turned around giving his passengers a smile that rivaled a sinister clown.

"This time you better hold on, kid, we're peeling out!"

Ponyboy quickly held onto the handlebar on the ceiling and felt his stomach drop as they pulled out of the parking lot.

* * *

><p>In the employee side of the parking lot, Steve and Soda were getting into Steve's 1949 Mercury.<p>

"You fixed this baby right up, Stevey-boy!"

"I sure did and she's better than ever!" Steve proudly boasted, "Next race she'll be so fast not even Nickel's car will touch her!"

Steve started the car and when he heard the purr of the engine he let out a relaxing sigh. Sodapop gave a little smile when he saw it. Steve was usually so tense which he didn't blame him, his dad was a douche. But whenever Steve heard the familiar roar of an engine it was like all his problems disappeared. Cars were his safe haven.

Sodapop wondered what that kid's safe haven was or if he even had one.

He always looked guarded, like invisible walls were always around him. When his eyes meet Soda's, which didn't happen often, he sees a fierce kid who has seen too much for someone his age. He sees a fighter, someone who protects his feelings and is used to being put down. He sees loneliness and abandonment.

However, he also sees wonder, someone eager to learn and daydreams about better places. Someone locked away.

Soda knows this tough kid act is not this kid's real personality, he is not a Dally. He was just forced to create this character in order to keep himself safe and Sodapop would be damned if he didn't see this kid drop his walls and show his real self.

Steve, seeing his best friend's eyes glaze over in thought, reached over and punched him in the arm.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?!" Soda asked while rubbing his arm.

"I was losing you there for a second, buddy," Steve stated with worry, "What are you thinking about so hard anyways?"

Soda shifted in his seat a little but didn't answer.

Steve gave him a pointed look, "You're thinking about that kid again, aren't you?"

"I can't help it Steve! There's just something about him...I can't get him out of my head!" Soda waved his arms around as if he could grasp the answer in the air.

Steve snickered at the sight his friend was making, "Yeah I can see that, what I want to know is why. You barely know the kid, he won't talk to any of us."

"That's just it!" Soda exclaimed, "He's a mystery! He comes out of nowhere, getting beatin' up by Socs and stealing from the DX. Then Johnny sees him sleeping outside while Dally sees him sleeping at Buck's. And Two-Bit said he doesn't see him in school just around it after school! Just something's not adding up Steve." Soda said with a shake of his head.

Steve took a moment to let Soda settle down before saying, "I think things are adding up just fine, we just don't want to see the bigger picture, or at least, the kid doesn't want us to see it. Maybe he's like Johnny."

Soda shook his head, "I just don't know, Steve-o, but what I do know is that when I see that kicked puppy look on him I get the same feeling like when Johnny comes to our house with new bruises from his parents or when Two-Bit is so worried about his mom working 20 different jobs that he doesn't tell a joke all day and just drinks his problems away. The same feeling when Dally disappears for days and shows up with bleeding knuckles and bandages all over him or when Darry is so stressed with Social Services and taxes he won't sleep for weeks. The feeling when I see you sleeping on our couch in the middle of the night with a black eye. The feeling like it isn't right and I have to make it better."

Steve gave Soda an incredulous look while Soda turned his head to look outside, or more like to not look at Steve.

Steve let a moment of silence pass between them as he turned down another street that led to the Curtis house.

When Soda still refused to look at him, Steve let out a sigh before saying, "Ok, what's your plan for tonight?"

Soda turned to him in shock and with wide eyes said, "You're going to help? You hate kids!"

"I don't hate kids, just not good with them." Steve grumbled.

Sodapop just started to laugh until Steve punched him on the arm again.

"Right, right, sorry," Soda said while wiping tears from his eyes, "Ok, well he's really sensitive, ran out last time we pressured him with a lot of questions, so tonight we'll aim for getting only one thing out of him."

"And what would that be?"

Soda turned to him with excitement in his eyes and a grin bigger than Two-Bit's, "His name. When we get there make sure we spread that to the rest of the gang."

Steve rolled his eyes but still smiled at his best friend, "Whatever you say buddy."

* * *

><p>When Two-Bit pulled into the driveway Ponyboy thought he was going to be sick, and not just because Two-Bit's driving was like a near death experience. Just looking at the familiar house made his stomach do loops. He probably wouldn't even have gotten out of the truck if it wasn't for Two-Bit opening his door like a car service. Even then, Pony had half a mind to book it right there.<p>

His legs almost started running before Steve's car pulled in right next to him and Soda popped out already ushering the teen inside.

"Darry we're home!" Soda shouted as he directed Ponyboy to the couch and pushed him down in the middle.

"Don't slam the do-" came a voice from the kitchen but was interrupted by the door slamming shut.

"Too late!" Two-Bit laughed while heading straight for the T.V. and turning on Mickey Mouse.

Johnny quietly walked in and plopped himself next to Ponyboy while Steve took the armchair in the room. No one seemed to notice Soda slip into the kitchen.

Ponyboy looked around since he didn't really have a chance to last time.

The living room was small, a little crowded for a family, perfect for two people. The floor was covered in a thin, brown carpet while the walls were plain white, not that one could see much of the walls since furniture was taking up most of the space. There were five windows, all covered with blinds with light green curtains on the side of them

Three of the windows were behind Ponyboy while the other two were next to Steve.

There were two lamps, one of which was on wooden end table to the left of the couch, the other being a long lamp that stood by itself behind the armchair. A chipped and scratched coffee table was in front of him with all different kinds of magazines and newspapers sprawled on it.

Pony shifted and felt the familiar feeling of the worn out material of the couch. It was actually a white loveseat but still big enough to fit three people on it. There was one purple pillow with what looked to be a mutant hybrid of a flower and a starfish on it and one baby blue cotton blanket with little strings on the side of it.

Steve sat to the right of Ponyboy on the other side of the door on a red recliner armchair. He seemed to sink into the chair and it squeaked when he pulled the lever that raised the feet rest. This made Pony think that the chair was also worned down like the couch.

Actually, the only piece of furniture that seemed to be in perfect condition was a tiny cushioned chair in the back corner of the living room. The design of the chair seemed to make it something a woman would buy since it was covered with pink flowers and green vines.

Ponyboy stared at it in curiosity, _'Why would Two-Bit sit on the floor if there was an extra chair?'_

Pony decided not to dwell on it too much, coming to the conclusion that it must've been one of those antique pieces of furniture that no one is allowed to touch. That or Two-Bit loved Mickey Mouse too much he couldn't be more than two feet away from the T.V.

Ponyboy was spooked from his thoughts when the door slammed shut. Pony felt a chill go through his body as he looked up and saw a pair of cold, blazing eyes staring into his. Thin lips spread into a smirk that showed off razor sharp teeth. Blonde, almost white hair was pushed from his face as the man spoke.

_'Oh God.' _Pony thought.

"So the kid came back after all."

_'It's the Dallas Winston guy.'_

* * *

><p>Sodapop shuffled into the kitchen in a way he knew Darry would think he's hiding something from him.<p>

_'Well I'm not hiding anything from him, just haven't told him yet.' _Soda thought as he jumped onto the counter where Darry was dicing potatoes. However, he didn't stay sitting for long as Darry grumbled,

"Soda, get off the counter."

Soda hopped off and instead took a seat at the small round table in the corner of the kitchen.

"Haha, sorry about that Dar. How's dinner going?"

Darry took a break from dicing the potatoes to check on the oven before going right back at it.

"Almost done," Darry answered, "Chicken has a couple more minutes, potatoes will be done in a few," Darry brought a hand up to wipe a bead of sweat forming on his eyebrow. The oven made the kitchen a little warmer than usual, but he'd take that any day over the bitter coldness outside.

"Smells good Darry, like usual!" Soda jumped up from his chair, never one to sit down for long, and used Darry's shoulder and the edge of the counter to swing his body towards the fridge. Darry in return laughed and elbowed him in the ribs lightly.

"Can't you sit down for two minutes Soda! And don't drink from the milk carton, here, use this glass." Darry half seriously reprimanded while throwing a glass cup at him which was easily caught.

"Thanks Dar! So how was work today?"

Whenever work is mentioned to Darry he self consciously tenses as if all the stress hits him at once. Soda always feels guilty when seeing this but also knows that Darry liked to get a few things off his chest sometimes after a really long day.

"Work was work, like usual. Except we're a little short on staff since two of our guys went on vacation and Mike's wife went into labor."

"Good for him." Soda said before taking a sip from his glass.

Darry sighed, "Yeah well, hell of a time for them to leave. We have a big job coming up. A wealthy family all the way on the west side wants their roof shingled. With this weather it'll take about two weeks, they want it done in one. That means overtime for everyone."

"Damn Socs," Soda grumbled, "Making it harder for us when they're living all high and mighty up there."

Darry wrapped the potatoes up in tin foil and made his way to the oven, but not before ruffling Soda's hair on the way.

"Can't do anything about it little buddy, besides, it's a good paying job this time. So, how was work for you?"

Soda shrugged, "Nothing special. Steve fixed his ride up today so we might be going out sometime this week to look for a race. The guys came in after school, they're all in the living room now."

"Yeah I heard Dally walk in too so do me a favor and put out six table sets."

Soda laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head, "About that Darry, I'm going to go ahead and put out seven."

Darry looked up from the sink where he was washing the few dishes placed in there, "Oh yeah? Who else is here? Please tell me it's not Tim or Curly, I just bought new plates after they broke the other ones."

Soda looked away sheepishly but was still bouncing in excitement which made Darry immediately catch on to who else was in the living room.

"Oh my god," he said out loud, "You found the kid again."

Sodapop whipped his head around, his eyes filled with hope and determination, "I sure did Darry! Well, actually Two-Bit and Johnny found him, but they brought him to the DX to fix a nasty cut on his hand and I invited him to dinner afterwards!"

"Golly Soda, I gotta admit I didn't think you'd see him again so soon." Darry said with a shake of his head.

Soda gave him a bewildered look, "What do ya mean? You're the one who told me I'd definitely see him again today!"

"To be honest Soda, I only told you that cause you looked so down when he stormed out yesterday."

"Well it doesn't matter now, he's here now and I've got a plan!"

Darry looked at him with nothing but humor in it, "Oh really, and what could this plan possibly be? Cause the last time we pressured the kid he ran out in thirty degree weather with nothing but a thin, torn up jacket."

"That's just the thing! We were asking him too many questions. All I want this time is his name. Steve already knows the plan, we'll spread it to the rest of the gang before dinner starts. By the end of tonight I don't want to be calling him 'kid' every time I need his attention."

Darry leaned his back against the sink and crossed his arms, "You really care about this kid, don't you?"

Soda's eyes sharpened, "Don't act like you don't either, I saw that look when he ran out last night, you were just as worried."

Darry exhaled as if admitting defeat because to be honest, he was really worried. It was like if Soda was the one running out in the middle of the night. He didn't know why he felt this way, only knew that he felt like he had a mini heart attack before remembering it was a stranger and stopping Sodapop from running out after him.

But still, it didn't hurt to know the kid a little better, maybe help him out with whatever problem he might have like how they help out the rest of the gang.

"Fine," Darry said after his moment of thinking, "I'm in. It's your job to tell the rest of the gang though, ya dig?"

Soda jumped up and threw his arms around him, "I dig just fine! Thanks Dar!"

Darry smiled and returned the hug. The moment was short lived, however, because all of a sudden there was a loud shout in the living room.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN'T SEEN MICKEY MOUSE BEFORE?!"

Sodapop and Darry shared a quick glance before running into the room.

* * *

><p>Ponyboy has been in a lot of tough, awkward or terrifying or tough, awkward, <em>and <em>terrifying situations before. He's been on the run for more than a year now and in that time he's run away from fist fights, knife fights, and gun fights. He's slept in front of stores only to find the owner staring at him in the morning, ready to call the cops. He's even had some...err well '_offers_' from both women and men, all turned down, some more persistent than others.

But this was a whole new level of tough, awkward, and terrifying, because Ponyboy currently had a six foot tall, stocky, beer smelling man leaning into his personal space.

Two-Bit, unaware that he was making the teen uncomfortable, leaned in closer in awe and a small amount of anger, "You're meaning to tell me that you have not once seen a single episode of the best goddamn show in the whole freaking world?!"

Pony leaned back, desperately trying to put some space between him and the mouse obsessed man.

"W-ell, I-I've seen a l-litle b-bit of e-episodes i-in shop w-windows." Ponyboy managed to stutter out.

Two-Bit was still gaping at him, "That doesn't even count! You never seeing a whole episode of Mickey Mouse is like sinning and this is a Christian house young man!" Two-Bit stood up straight wagged his finger at him as if he was scolding a child.

"W-w-we don't have a t-television at our house." Pony tried to reason with Two-Bit, or at least say something to get him to back away but Two-Bit was still having none of it.

"Oh god, please don't say another word or I might start to cry." Two-Bit proceeded to get down on one knee and take one of Ponyboy's hands. Pony tugged his hand back but Two-Bit only held on tighter, "God has given me someone who needs guidance. If I must, I will fulfill my duty. Kid," Two-Bit bowed his head, "will you watch Mickey Mouse with me?"

_'What the hell?'_

Ponyboy's uneasiness must have been showing on his face like the moon shines on a cloudless night, because Dally, who ended up sitting next to Johnny on the loveseat with Pony, kicked Two-Bit in his face. Two-Bit immediately fell back, almost hitting his head on the coffee table.

"Stop creeping him out Two-Shit." Dally said while putting his feet on the coffee table.

Two-Bit, not even caring that he now had a huge red mark on his forehead, stood up and pointed at Ponyboy.

"This is unacceptable! You, me, here, three chocolate cakes, Mickey Mouse marathon, ya dig?"

Ponyboy didn't even know how to respond to that so he settled with an open mouth, wide eye stare.

Luckily he was saved to having to answer when Sodapop came back from the kitchen, and following him was the big guy that stood in front of him last night, Darry.

Darry stood firm and crossed his arms, "I swear to god if you guys break anything, I'll have your heads."

Two-Bit, still on the floor, cackled, "We weren't doin' anything, Superman! Just having some fun!"

"That's exactly what a worry about Two-Bit." Darry drawled and sent a small warning kick to Two-Bit's head.

Two-Bit dodged it and scrambled to his feet.

"Anyways," Darry continued, "dinner is ready." he turned to face Ponyboy, making the boy shrink back into the couch.

"You can go in first kid, just pick a plate and start filling it."

Ponyboy, at first, didn't move. It was, surprisingly, Dally who slapped him on the back, getting him to stand and slowly make his way to the kitchen. Behind him he could see Steve whisper something to Two-Bit and Sodapop do the same thing to Johnny. Both nodded their heads and Johnny turned to whisper something to Dally who, in turn gripped Johnny's shoulder.

Ponyboy didn't get to see the rest as Darry came up behind him to guide him the rest of the way into the kitchen.

Like the living room, the kitchen was also small, a tight squeeze for all seven of them, but not unbearable. A scrawny kid like himself couldn't take up much space anyways.

The floor was white tile, almost yellow from the years. There was one stove pushed up against one of the beige walls, above it a clock, a towel rack, and a black phone. The other wall had a white counter with a sink and lots of white cupboards. A tiny window was above the sink which had the same curtains as the ones in the living room. The refrigerator was pushed up against the third wall, next to it a hook that help a variety of pots and pans. The last wall had a simple brown table pushed up against it, on it was dozens of papers, messily sprawled out. Some were coupons, others were advertisements, a lot of it looked like bills.

Pony didn't get a good look at them, though, since someone pushed a plate into his hands. Whoever shoved the glass platter at him got it from the dining table in the middle of the kitchen. It was medium sized and a rectangle. It would be somewhat crowded with all seven of them, but not uncomfortable at all. On top of it was a white tablecloth, tiny flower designs printed into it.

Only napkins, pepper, sugar, and ketchup were in the middle of the table, the food seemed to be on the counter where the gang were already lining up to fill their plants.

There was plenty, either Darry always made extra or he had a sixth sense which told him whether the gang was coming over or not.

Ponyboy took his plate and stood between Steve and Two-Bit. He was starving and everything smelled so good but he knew he hasn't eaten in awhile, so too much might make him sick.

He took the smallest chicken piece he could find and only two small spoonfuls of potatoes. He was about to sit when Two-Bit took his arm and drew him back.

"Come on kid, you've got to eat more than that! You're all skin and bones!"

Two-Bit gave him another piece of chicken and two more spoonfuls of potatoes before directing him to a seat between Johnny and Sodapop. He guessed those two were the nicest of the bunch because he always seemed to be sitting next to them.

Next to Soda was Steve and next to him was Darry. Then it went Two-Bit, Dally, Johnny, then back to Ponyboy.

There was no awkward silence, Two-Bit filled that up no problem. However, for a good ten minutes no one talked to Ponyboy. He could feel that stares directed at him from time to time but for the most part they let him slowly eat his meal.

It was delicious, though. Even better than the diner meals he got once in awhile. Home cooked meals always seemed to taste better, or that's what he can assumed. He's never had a home cooked meal before unless one counts the sandwiches he used to make for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at his old home. Actually, most of the time he didn't eat anything since his parents would forget to buy groceries.

But this meal was probably the best thing he's ever tasted. It tasted fresh and filled his stomach with warmth. However, after about a good fifteen minutes of Pony binge eating, he finally looked up at his plate and saw six pairs of eyes just staring at him. Looking down at his plate, Pony saw that he pretty much finished it all, leaving only one more bite of chicken and two more potatoes.

Ponyboy dropped his fork and knife, his stomach already feeling upset.

"See kid, I knew you were hungry!" Two-Bit shouted.

"Um, would you like more?" Darry offered with some hesitation.

Pony shook his head, feeling like his stomach was doing acrobatic flips.

"N-no thank you."

Soda patted him on the back, "Well save some room for dessert! We Curtises make the best chocolate cake around!"

The pat on the back and the mention of more food only made the nausea stronger.

Johnny looked at him in concern, "Are you ok, you look green."

Ponyboy nodded his head. He may be homeless but he wasn't rude. What kind of impression would he make by vomiting something his host worked hard to make.

So he swallowed whatever was coming up, down and prayed that it would stay there.

"I'm fine," he finally managed to get out, "Thank you for the meal Mr. Curtis."

Darry smiled at the boy's politeness and manners, "You're welcome and call me Darry, Mr. Curtis was my father."

"Speaking of names," Soda suddenly jumped in, "we seem to be at a disadvantage. You know our names, but we don't know yours."

The gang first stared at Soda with shock, as if they weren't expecting him to bring up the question so suddenly. But then they turned to give Pony six pressing looks.

Ponyboy shifted in his seat, rubbing his hands up and down his thighs while looking anywhere but the people at the table.

Could he tell these people something so personal as a name? It might not be a big deal to some people, but there were few things that Ponyboy actually owned, and he like to think one of those things was his name.

Could he trust it with these people? He did trust them with helping him with an injury and then with a meal, but he hardly knew this people. He's only met them a few times, but on the other hand the few times he's met them they've always helped him in some way.

However, giving something as simple as a name also meant attachment, and that was something he was not good at.

He was saved from having to answer when his stomach did yet another flip.

Pony pushed himself away from the table, causing some to jump at the sudden action and others to stiffen as if ready to catch him if he ran.

He looked up, his face pale with a sheen of sweat shining on his forehead.

"U-um I'm actually not feeling so well, may I use your bathroom?" he stammered out.

Darry was shocked by the question, being one of the few who thought the kid was going to bolt.

"Oh," he said while trying to keep the surprise out of his voice, "go back into the living room, there's another hallway, the bathroom will be directly in front of you."

Ponyboy nodded in gratitude and started to make his way there before Soda stood up and grabbed his arm to stop him

"Look if this is about the question you don't have to answer it, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." Soda guiltily exclaimed

"No, you're fine," oh god he didn't know how much longer he could last, "I just really don't feel good right now."

Soda gazed at him in concern, "Are you sick?" he asked while putting his hand on Pony's forehead.

But before he could say anything else Pony bolted past him making his way to the bathroom. When he made it he locked the door, leaned over the toilet, and emptied out everything in his stomach.

Little did he know, one ear was leaning against the other side of the door before the entire body made his way back into the kitchen.

"He's blowing chunks in there," Sodapop said worriedly.

"Oh shit, I think I gave him too much to eat," Two-Bit regretfully confessed.

Soda shook his head,"I don't think it's just that, his forehead felt warm too, I think he's actually getting sick."

Steve sighed, "So much for the plan."

"Stupid plan anyways." Dally mumbled while putting a cigarette in his mouth. He didn't light it, though, since Darry gave him a pointed look from the other side of the table.

Soda glared, "I didn't see you thinking of anything better, _Dallas_."

The room was tense, everyone expecting for Dally to get up and punch Soda for opening his big mouth, but instead Dally just scoffed.

Every head turned towards the living as the heard the toilet flush.

Ponyboy walked out of the bathroom feeling more embarrassed than he's ever had in his life. He just puked dinner that was the best thing he's ever tasted and a kind man let him eat it after probably working on it so hard.

When he walked back into the kitchen he couldn't help the blush that spread across his face. No one was laughing at him, thank god, but they all looked kind of troubled, like they didn't know what to do with the situation.

Pony cleared his throat and turned to meet Darry's gaze.

"I am s-so s-sorry Mr. Cur-ah Darry. Dinner was amazing, I just ate too much." he let out an awkward laugh, trying his hardest to ease the tension.

Darry gave him an incredulous look in return.

"No problem, kid, but are you sure you're ok?"

"Yeah I think I just need to lie down now, but I'll do that when I get home."

Soda walked up to him, "You're leaving already?" he said as if Pony hurt his feelings.

"Yeah I think I just need to sleep this off and I'll be better in the morning."

"Oh," Soda said looking defeated, "well would you like a ride home?" he asked looking a little hopeful that the boy would say yes. That would give him some more time to at least get a name.

"Um, no thank you, I'm good," but then Ponyboy remembered something, "Actually, I left my bag here the last time, do you still have it?"

Soda nodded, "Yeah it's in my room. Johnny, you know where my room is right? Can you grab it for me please, it's in between the nightstand and the closet."

Johnny looked surprised that he asked him to do it instead of getting it himself, but he was not one to complain, so he ran upstairs, grabbed the bag and ran downstairs to hand it to the kid.

Ponyboy took the bag with a warm smile. He rubbed the familiar material, already feeling comforted by the missed object.

"Thank you, and thank you so much for dinner again. It really was so good, I'm just not used to eating so much at one time."

"Here, let us at least show you to the door." Soda said with a defeated look in his eyes.

Ponyboy saw this and instantly felt guilty. Soda was always a happy guy from what Pony could tell. He had no idea why he looked so dejected now, but he had a feeling it had something to do with his name since he's been asking for it all day.

Soda directed him to the door, the gang following behind him. When the door was opened a blast of cold air greeted them. Ponyboy started to shiver.

Soda noticed this and tried one more time to help the kid, "You could spend the night if you want. It's record cold tonight, you could get sicker if you walk home."

Pony, however, shook his head and wrapped his jacket tighter around himself.

"That's ok I'll manage." he looked back one more time at the gang. Some looked guilty while others looked worried. Even the mean looking one seemed to have a tiny bit of emotion cracking his cold demeanor.

Ponyboy's insides warmed up a little at this. He's never had people that cared about him even a tiny bit. But they were still strangers, not to be trusted so soon. That didn't mean he couldn't leave them with a parting gift though

"By the way," he started off and he had everyone's attention,

"My name is Ponyboy."

Some eyes widened, Soda's being the biggest, before a ginormous grin split his face.

"See you around Ponyboy!" he shouted as the kid, now dubbed 'Ponyboy' started to walk off.

* * *

><p><strong>So Soda's really caring, Darry's starting to feel it a little bit, Two-Bit is insane, Steve's not a douche like everyone thinks, Johnny is really quiet, and so is Dally but I'll try to have them both talk more in the next chapter, and last but not least, my baby Ponyboy is sick D:<strong>

**Why do I do this to you Ponyboy?! Because I like to torture you, that's why. ;D**

**I hope you enjoyed! I tried my hardest to write a long chapter because you guys were waiting so long for me! I hope it wasn't to rushed...**

**Please favorite/follow/review! Seriously makes everyday easier to get through when I get feedback from you guys!**

**Thank you again for putting up with me!**

**Until next time, lovelies!**


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